The Rooster
by staceums
Summary: Takes place right after Terminator Salvation; an alternative ending with believability and where it all goes from there. Mostly focuses on Marcus, his past, present, and future - including his new allies. Blair x Marcus undertones.
1. Salvation

**_Author's Note and Disclaimer:_** The characters in this fanfic belong to Warner Bros. and the writers of _Terminator Salvation._ The ideas are entirely my own but I'm sure others have thought of the same plots and written similar fics, but it was NOT my intention to plagiarize anyone in any way, shape, or form.

Please keep in mind that this is a fanfic. Feedback and constructive criticism is encouraged about my _**writing**_, however, not about my _**ideas**_. If you don't like what I put in here, don't ask me to change anything. You have the power to write about it yourself. And that doesn't mean by plagiarizing.

For more information, please visit my profile page.

* * *

Out of the hundreds of prisoners taken to Skynet's central hub in San Francisco, only around fifty managed to escape during the raid led by John Connor. The men, women, and children that were lucky enough to escape Skynet's research were nonetheless starving, dirty, covered in tattered clothes, and confused. The transports that had managed to provide John limited support brought the survivors back to an outpost of the resistance, but nobody knew what to do with them after that. So, they stood around, hoping for food, shelter, and further orders. The panic and confusion had mounted when word spread that Command couldn't be reached – and worse, that John Connor was mortally wounded. There wasn't anything anyone could do but to stand around helplessly outside of his tent and pray for a miracle.

From a distance, they had all gathered in grim silence to watch a redheaded female doctor tend his wounds and slowly kiss him on the forehead. Nobody could hear anything, but the facial expressions of the doctor and her comrades standing behind her were enough to interpret what was going to happen. There was a bated silence as they watched when the newcomer – the hybrid that appeared to be one of the machines, but was still a man – stepped forward and said something. His entourage stared at him in shocked silence, then the doctor slowly nodded. The raven-haired pilot stepped forward and said something to him. He replied. She kissed him.

Whispers of "what's going on?" and "I can't see what's happening," and "Is he going to be okay?" reverberated throughout the large group of refugees, which had seemed to be growing. Everyone wanted to know if their savior was going to live. The doctors and nurses had worked on him throughout the night, but as day broke there hadn't seemed to be much progress. Connor's skin had grown from a tanned ivory to a gray, pallid shade. The tiny team around him looked grim.

The hybrid stepped forward and allowed the doctor to take his arm. She drew a small sample of blood and started working at a makeshift bench, full of laboratory supplies and kits.

There was another long pause as everyone just stood there, anxious. A disappointed look crossed the doctor's face and she shook her head, saying something inaudible. Suddenly, the teenager stepped forward and yelped, "What?"

**. . .**

"What do you mean it's not possible?" Kyle asked in a panicked voice. "What's wrong?"

"There are too many risk factors involved," Kate explained with a controlled tone, although tears were threatening to return. "John's body will reject the heart. There's nothing I can do. We'll need another donor."

"Why?" Marcus asked sharply.

"I have a very limited amount of supplies out here to even remotely successfully perform a heart transplant," Kate replied. "That, in and of itself, is risky. I won't even attempt it until I get a heart that's compatible with John's blood type. I performed a hemagglutination test…" Kate licked her lips and looked down, averting her gaze, slowly shaking her head.

Marcus felt his jaw tighten. "What?"

She looked up at him and sighed. "You're not compatible with any of the human blood types."

Marcus narrowed his eyes.

"How is that possible?" Blair stepped forward.

"I don't know. The test could be faulty due to the lack of supplies, or…your blood and tissues are composed of something else entirely, something incompatible with the human anatomy," Kate looked at him apologetically. "In addition, I would literally need to saw through the metal endoskeleton without damaging the tissue – which, in the amount of time we have and the tools available here, would probably do more harm than good. I'm sorry."

Marcus set his jaw. "I'm getting used to it."

"What do we do now?" Kyle spoke up. "We need a heart for John! We can't just…give up! Here," he suddenly stepped forward and held out his arm. "Test me. Test my blood type."

"No," John's hoarse voice suddenly called out from behind them. He struggled to sit up, but a nurse gently coaxed him to relax.

Marcus yanked Kyle back. "You're too young, kid."

"So?" Kyle looked obstinate.

"Take mine," Blair stepped up and held out her arm to Kate. "Test my blood."

Marcus suddenly turned and glared at her.

"Take mine," a voice suddenly called out, snapping their attentions to the outside perimeter of the tent.

"Take mine," a second voice chimed in.

"He can have mine," another said.

"Test me," another added.

"Please, use mine," another called out.

Kate swirled around to stare at the gathering group of people that was approaching the tent. They were all survivors and soldiers that had been rescued from Skynet's California headquarters, and they were all offering John a heart in return. Tears pricked at her eyes and she swallowed them back.

"Take mine."

"Use mine, please."

"He can use mine."

"Take mine."

"I can't possibly expect one of you to…" Kate trailed off, but the insistent voices grew louder. They had made their resolve. One would die to let John Connor live. He was the one that would lead them to victory against the machines.

"Doctor, we don't have much time," a nurse silently reminded her.

Kate nodded and licked her lips. "Of course." She turned towards the large group that was gathering outside the tent. A few guards had to push them back.

"Please keep clear."

"Give them room. Don't come any closer."

"Um…if you really would like to help, I need a young male, preferably between the ages of 25 to 45," Kate called out in a shaky voice. "Please."

Slowly, some people started to shuffle forward. To everyone's surprise, a vast majority of the group had stepped up. Most of the women and children hung back and held onto each other, watching the scene with both hope and sadness.

"You'll need to leave," a male nurse nodded towards the group standing in the tent. "We have to make sure the area is sterilized as much as possible - "

"I'm not going anywhere," Barnes narrowed his eyes.

"He can stay," Kate nodded to the nurse. "I need everyone else out," she looked at the group. "I'll let you know how everything goes, as soon as I can."

As Kate turned back to the group of volunteers to pick out a donor, Blair silently ushered the rest out of the tent. Once outside, Kyle held Star's hand and reluctantly started to walk off. She tugged at him hesitantly. He kneeled down and uttered in a low voice, "Don't worry. He'll be okay. Are you hungry?"

She gave him a meek nod.

"C'mon. Let's find something to eat."

As they slowly walked away, Marcus turned to Blair. She was staring at the tent entrance somberly, which had just been closed by Barnes. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and glanced at him. Her expression seemed neutral, if not slightly stern, but he could detect the hint of bitterness in her voice.

"It could be awhile before we hear anything. You should get some rest."

Before he could even respond, she turned and headed in the opposite direction. He narrowed his eyes and took a few swift strides after her, grabbing her arm.

"What was all that about back there?" Marcus asked her in a low voice, turning her around.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "All what about?"

"You were just going to give yourself up? Just like that?"

She yanked her arm out of his grip and set her jaw. "I think I can do whatever I damn well please with my own body," she hissed at him. "When it comes to John Connor, my life doesn't matter in the slightest. Besides, _you_ were quick to end it all, weren't you?"

"That's different - " he snapped, but was interrupted.

"No, of course, since you're the only human in the resistance capable of surviving bomb blasts, gunshots, and infiltrating Skynet without a hitch," Blair retorted with angry sarcasm. "You're not much of a commodity at all. You won't help us. I was silly to think otherwise."

"I don't _belong_ here," he growled.

"Neither do _I_," Blair glared up at him. There was a long pause as they stared at each other angrily until she spoke again. "But I got used to it, Marcus. We _all_ did. We're _all_ stuck in this nightmare." She turned and started to walk away, shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips.

He stared at the ground and scowled. Her voice made him glance up again.

"You know what? John might have leveled Skynet, and he might have rescued all those people, but he couldn't have done it without you. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you're here for a reason? We need you, Marcus - "

There was something in that statement that bothered him. Skynet had told him something similar less than twelve hours earlier. "Spare me," he snapped. "If you're trying to help me find religion, don't bother. I'm already locked in the pits of hell."

She stormed off, not looking back.

He crossed his arms and frowned. Why was he even mad at her? Why did he give a damn? For starters, he was pissed off that he couldn't escape this shithole. Ending his life to save Connor's was a pretty good way to go. Besides…he owed him.

Guess it wasn't going to be that fuckin' easy.

On the other hand, he was pissed off that Blair was so ready to give up her own life merely seconds after he was told he'd still live. What the hell? A few days ago she'd risked her life to save him, then ten minutes ago she'd kissed him, then five minutes ago she wanted to end it all? She was just gonna fuckin' _leave_ him there?

…And if she actually did, what would _he_ do?

It felt weird, but along with Kyle and Star, Blair was one of the resistance members he'd sort of gotten attached to. Those three were the only ones that really treated him…like a human being. Along with Kyle, who was spunky and smart but still had a shit-ton to learn, and Star, who was pleasantly quiet, he didn't mind Blair's company. And, after she let him free, for some reason he felt obligated to protect her. The other resistance members – especially that asshole, Barnes – had given her looks and glared at her as if she was a traitor since she had warmed to Marcus. Needless to say, she'd pissed off a _lot_ of people after freeing the machine. The only thing keeping them from opening their mouths and acting on it was Connor's decree that Marcus was now a member of the resistance, and Blair's behavior was excused…but who knew what would happen to Blair when Connor's back was turned? He couldn't protect her all the time.

Marcus glanced up and looked around. Speaking of…where the hell did she go?

He stood there, brooding angrily, not quite knowing what to do. He wasn't about to follow that hot-headed harpy and continue a stupid argument, but he didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone, either.

He blinked. _What do I care? She can handle herself. Sure, she caused one gigantic snafu - but they have more important things to worry about. Like surviving._

...Right?

He grit his teeth. _Whatever. This is war. People do fucked up shit in wars. I should go find her._

He didn't want to go back to Connor's tent, anyway. The doctors were busy working on him, and Marcus didn't want to see the lucky bastard who'd died – it should've been _him_, dammit – for Connor's survival. Assuming the heart transplant was successful.

Then a thought hit him.

_If Connor dies...what then? What would happen to me? He's running the show now...but if he goes...it wouldn't be long until they all try to dismantle my ass..._

_...Not compatible with the human anatomy. Not a match for any of the human blood types._ He gritted his teeth, bothered by Kate's statement. Glancing down, Marcus slowly lifted up his left hand – the metal endoskeleton that was exposed after a fight – and curled the fingers.

…_What the fuck am I?_

A tug at his coat made him turn around. Star was at his flank, looking up at him. He never could tell what that kid was thinking – she was remarkably calm in every situation, except when the machines were nearby.

He sighed. "Hey, squirt."

She took his hand and softly pulled. He didn't budge.

"What?"

She tugged again.

"Where's Reese?" he asked, attempting to hide his annoyed tone. He wasn't in the mood for babysitting.

She tugged a third time and Marcus relented, slowly following after her.

Kyle was sitting on the back bumper of a humvee, eating something that looked like a large rice cake, or something that had been freeze-dried. When he saw Star and Marcus, he broke off a piece of the substance and handed it to the little girl. He lifted up another piece to Marcus.

"Want some?"

Marcus set his jaw. He hadn't been hungry. At all. He figured that once he had the chance, he should talk to Kate before chowing down on something he might not even be able to digest.

_Christ. How fucked up._

After seeing his expression, Kyle retracted the food and blinked. "Oh…right…" His eyes darted to Marcus's left hand.

Marcus suddenly realized that they had no idea what the hell had transpired only twenty-four hours earlier. Surprisingly, however, Reese hadn't even asked any questions. Star didn't even seem to care.

"Do you know?" He asked gruffly.

Kyle chewed the food slowly and looked away. "Well…not exactly. I just heard John's orders about you being one of us. Then I heard the doctor say the same thing and told the guards to back off."

Once the chopper had landed after their trip back from Skynet, some resistance members had immediately recognized Marcus as their escaped prisoner and moved in to restrain him. Through his semi-conscious state, however, John Connor immediately ordered them to stand down. Kate, who had noticed the tear in the back of Marcus's neck, now covered with dried blood and had already started to scab, confirmed John's orders and told Barnes to keep watch over Marcus but not to advance. Even two german shepherd dogs were brought up to inspect him, but instead of barking, they nervously sniffed his exposed hand and paced back and forth a little before settling down.

"I obviously haven't had time to ask," Kyle admitted with a dry chuckle. "I've been a little busy."

Marcus crossed his arms and stared at the dry, sandy ground. He didn't reply.

"Besides, I figured you'd tell us when you were ready," Kyle shrugged and took another bite.

_I wasn't going to tell anyone,_ Marcus thought bitterly. _I was going to die a peaceful fucking death and be done with it. _He sighed. "Yeah, well…to make a long story short, I'm not one of them, so…"

"I know that," Kyle shrugged. "You wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to help us if you were."

There was a long pause. Marcus wasn't willing to continue the conversation on the subject, but Kyle's eyes kept darting to his mechanical hand. Marcus purposely turned his back on them and pretended to ignore it, glancing around the camp, keeping an eye out for a skinny brunette with a fiery attitude.

"Marcus?"

_Nnngh. Damn_. He turned his head, acknowledging Kyle silently.

"So…you never even knew…? That you were…?"

"Nah, I was purposely masquerading around California as a terminator with amnesia helping humans," Marcus replied flatly, wanting Kyle to get to the point. "What do you think?"

Kyle didn't reply.

Marcus stole a glance at Star. A small pout had formed on her face. He shook his head and sighed, staring at the ground. "Sorry. It's just…agitating. Being like this." He lifted up his mechanical hand and stared at it.

"Well. I just wanted to say that…whatever they did to you…we'll get 'em back for it," Kyle responded quietly. "We'll destroy Skynet."

Marcus glanced at him. He suddenly wondered if Connor would let him fight with the rest of the resistance. He glanced down and fingered the red patch on the arm of his jacket. Sure, he was technically an ally…and he had a shitload of advantages compared to a normal human…but would they trust him in battle? He was surprised to find that he hoped so. Now that he was still alive, he might as well make himself useful. He wanted to fight. More specifically, he wanted to destroy everything Serena Kogan had claimed would help the human race. It was her research in the first place that enabled Skynet to do this to him.

He almost chuckled. _Or was it because of her that I'm actually going to try to help the human race?_

_Fuck. God has a sick, twisted sense of humor._

"What's funny?"

Kyle had noticed his dark smirk. Marcus sobered and shook his head. "Just agreeing with you. We'll get 'em back, all right."

There was another long pause. Star munched on a few pieces of food that Kyle gave her quietly, Marcus brooded silently, and Kyle glanced around the camp, observing all the members of the resistance and familiarizing himself with the new terrain.

"Weird," he uttered quietly.

Marcus glanced at him. "What?"

"Just…how I thought it would all be so glorious, joining up with the resistance," Kyle admitted. "That it'd be…I don't know…heroic or something. But…with John hurt…it's…not like that at all."

Marcus almost snorted. _You're not the only one who got a cold slap in the face by reality, kid._

"I hope it goes okay," Kyle added quietly, glancing over at John's tent. It was still enclosed and guarded heavily while people stood close by, trying to catch a peek or listen in on any news.

"He'll pull through," Marcus narrowed his eyes at the tent in the distance. "Don't worry."

In the short time he'd known John Connor, he definitely got the vibe that the man wouldn't go down easily. He wasn't scared of the machines. He was a fearless leader. The man was a pile of conundrums that Marcus had yet to figure out – he stole a glance at Kyle, remembering Connor's earlier remarks – but it'd have to wait for now. But John Connor sure as hell wouldn't be taken out by a metal pipe through the chest. He was a born fighter.

"If you want some more, just let me know," Kyle looked over at Star and motioned to the dry cake he was holding. "They've got enough food here for us. I'll get some for you."

Star nodded and took another piece he cracked off for her.

After chewing some more silently, Kyle glanced up at Marcus again. "So…who was that woman?"

Marcus set his jaw. He knew exactly who Kyle meant, but he decided to act nonchalant all the same. "What woman?"

"You know who I'm talking about. The one who piloted us back here. The one who kissed you."

Marcus kept his back turned and gritted his teeth, trying to force the kiss out of his mind. That kiss damn near made him change his mind about wanting to die.

_Guess it didn't matter. I'm still alive._

After Marcus didn't answer, Kyle continued to probe. "Seems that you've left an impression. What exactly happened after we were taken to San Francisco?"

Even though his questions could get annoying, Marcus knew that he wasn't intentionally trying to put him on the spot. Reese wasn't stupid. He was simply the speculative type, built from sheer survival and habit. Being informed was imperative. He was just gauging his surroundings and his allies.

Marcus sighed. "It's a long story."

Kyle shrugged. "We've got time."

Marcus glanced towards Connor's tent. "Yeah. I guess we do."

So he explained how he'd found Blair after Kyle and Star were taken into custody, and how she led him to John Connor. He purposely left out the bit about the scumbags who'd attacked her, or how she'd warmed to him that night. He told them about the magnetic mines…and how he woke up in chains. After he briefly mentioned how he found out what he'd become, he trailed off.

Kyle seemed to pale a bit. "Oh, man…" He swallowed.

There was a long pause. Star was staring at the ground somberly.

"Marcus…I'm…I'm really sorry," Kyle offered hoarsely.

Marcus shook his head. "Yeah, well…the resistance wasn't. Connor wasn't convinced. They all thought I was a spy." _And I was, _he thought angrily._ I didn't even fucking know it._

"Then what happened? Why did they let you go?"

Marcus set his jaw. "They didn't let me go. Blair set me free."

Kyle's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"She betrayed the resistance to save my life," Marcus said in a low voice.

Kyle blinked. "Were they mad at her?"

"I'd say so. They were trying to kill us."

"So then what happened?"

Marcus glanced at Kyle and Star. They were at full attention, sitting forward like kids at a campfire. "We split up. She was caught and I got away. That's when I went to Skynet's headquarters to try to bust you guys out."

_And find out other things._ Marcus also decided to leave that information confidential.

"Connor and the resistance eventually came after me, but because they were planning on a raid anyway," he continued. "They knew Skynet had hundreds of human prisoners."

Kyle nodded slowly and remembered how he boarded the helicopter with Star – and then Marcus followed not too long after, carrying a severely injured John Connor over his shoulder.

So much had happened that night, that Kyle couldn't even begin to ask how Marcus had gotten there in the first place, or how John Connor had gotten hurt. Then, once he saw Marcus's skeletal hand and bloody gash in the back of his head, revealing shiny bits of what looked like metal, he grew even more confused. His first thought was that Marcus had eventually been captured, like the rest of them, and was experimented on. Skynet was doing terrible things to the humans – he'd heard some screaming; inhumane sounds echoing off of the walls and drifing into his cell – but nobody really knew what.

Nobody except for maybe Marcus and John Connor.

He knew he shouldn't pry, but Kyle was curious about Marcus's past. When he first met him, he obviously didn't know anything about the machines or the war. Hell, he didn't even know what _year_ it was. It was the strangest thing, as if he had a severe case of amnesia – but then he'd mentioned his brother once, and he knew how to hotwire things and drive vehicles – vehicles that had been out of commission since Judgment Day.

Kyle was afraid to ask, however, because he knew that the machines had done something unspeakable to him. He had some memories, but obviously not all of them. He didn't even _know_ that he was a machine…or at least partially.

Kyle sighed. Things were starting to get complicated. If the machines were starting to manufacture human cyborgs, what did that mean for the resistance? How would they be able to tell friend from foe? And what if there were more out there? What if…they started to turn bad? What if amnesia was a side effect of the experimentation and the humans would forget who they were? What if they started to fight for Skynet? Was Marcus still in danger? If he had Skynet parts in him, was he still a threat?

There was a long pause. Marcus's back was turned to him, but Kyle glanced at the bloody patch on his neck and chewed another piece of food in thought.

_He ripped it out. Marcus ripped his chip out. Skynet can't control him._

…_Right?_

Whatever. John Connor trusted Marcus. That's all that mattered.

"Marcus?"

Marcus turned his head slightly.

"The human prisoners…" Kyle trailed off and hesitated. He thought about what he saw at headquarters. There were dozens of dead bodies lying on operating tables. "…They're making more, aren't they?"

Marcus lifted up his left hand and stared at it. "More of me?"

Kyle nodded, shook his head, and shrugged at the same time, suddenly aware that he might've offended Marcus. "Yeah, well…no, I mean, not _you_, but…I mean…"

"Relax, kid. I know what you meant."

There was a long pause. Kyle exchanged nervous glances with Star until Marcus finally spoke again.

"I'm not sure. Probably. But…I don't think Skynet will need human prisoners anymore."

Kyle furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Because I think the machines are finished experimenting on humans."

Kyle felt his heart drop into his stomach. "…What do you mean?"

Marcus wasn't really ready to explain how he'd synced into the Skynet mainframe and pretty much learned everything there was to know about the entire fuckin' database – from the tactical warfare used on Judgment Day to the godforsaken experimental procedures used on humans. Because he'd ripped out the chip, however, some of the information was lost. He'd only managed to retain bits and pieces, but he knew that Skynet was continuing to build newer models. Models with human shells.

"There were…finished products…" Marcus finally replied. "At headquarters…just sitting there, like goddamned mannequins ready to be shipped out of a warehouse. But…I don't know. Since the headquarters was leveled, maybe the machines will have to start over. I have to ask Connor. I'm sure he knows more about what's going on."

Kyle nodded silently.

There was another immensely long pause. Kyle slapped the crumbs off his hands and glanced down at Star. "Want some more?"

She nodded.

"Need some water?"

She nodded again.

"Okay. I'll be right back." Kyle stood up and glanced at Marcus, deciding to make an attempt to lighten the conversation again. "You still didn't answer my question, you know."

Marcus turned and narrowed his eyes at him. "About what?"

"About the pilot. Blair."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't."

Marcus's expression grew darker. "You asked who she was, and I told you."

"Yeah, but you never told us why the hell she likes you so much," Kyle grinned at him. "You've only been with the resistance for two days, and you're already got a woman kissing you?" He turned and walked away, muttering, "Lucky bastard." He suddenly stopped and glanced at Star. "Ignore what I just said. That was a bad word." He turned again and kept walking, ignoring Marcus's black scowl.

Star smirked and her eyes darted to Marcus.

Marcus was not amused. He glared at Kyle's backside and let out a heavy sigh through his nostrils, teeth clenched. After a pause, he glanced at Star, who wasn't grinning…but she wasn't frowning, either. She was struggling to keep a straight face. He raised an eyebrow.

"You think that's funny?"

She shook her head. She was still pursing her lips, as if smiling might get her in trouble, and she was still debating whether or not to do it.

He held out his hands. "_I_ don't know why she did that. Do you?"

Star shrugged. A smile started to peek out.

"Lucky. Yeah. Sure," Marcus rolled his eyes and motioned towards her. "Just wait. When you get older, you'll be torturing the royal piss out of poor schmucks too, like every other female on this planet. It's built into your DNA."

She blinked, not knowing what to make of that statement.

He crossed his arms and turned away, frowning, but he was only half-joking with the squirt. To reassure her that he wasn't angry, he glanced back and gave her a grim wink without smiling.

She beamed.

When Kyle returned with more food and water, Marcus decided to turn the tables on him.

"What about you?"

Kyle glanced up. "What _about_ me?"

"Ever had a girl in your life?"

Kyle's expression darkened and he let out a snort. "What do _you_ think?"

"C'mon. There must've been someone."

"No. There wasn't anyone."

Marcus turned and glanced at him. "Not one person?"

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "_No_."

Hm. Perhaps it wasn't a good subject to bring up, after all.

"Let me put it this way," Kyle sighed irritably, "We're much too busy worrying about staying alive than we are worrying about companionship. It's good to fight together and it's good to work together, but there isn't any time for anything to go any further than that. So, when the opportunity _does_ come along," Kyle fixed his dark glare on Marcus, "_don't_ throw it away. It's rare and it doesn't happen often."

Marcus raised an eyebrow in surprise. _Amen to that._

"John and Kate are the only couple I've seen here," Kyle added. "In fact…they're the first ones I've seen together in _years_."

Marcus curled a lip. _Wait a sec. Couple? Does he mean…? Gk._ "Are you talking about _love?_"

"What else would I be talking about?"

Marcus stole a glance at Star. "Uh…nothing."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "You're the one who brought it up."

Marcus rubbed his face. _Yeah, but…I meant…the other thing…the physical part without the emotional baggage… _"Forget it."

. . .

Blair strode through the camp angrily, refusing to look back. She knew that it was stupid to be pissed off at Marcus, but she couldn't help it.

_I risked my life for him, and he's looking for an avenue out?_

_"Everyone deserves a second chance. This is mine,"_ he had said.

_He meant his chance to die,_ she set her jaw bitterly. What the hell was Marcus trying to pull?

It was childish and it was petty, but Blair felt hurt. It was as if nothing was worthy enough for him to stick around. Not even her. It was obvious he hadn't really had time to get to know anyone, and it wasn't like he had time to warm to the members of the resistance…but…

_I thought…that maybe he at least…_

She sighed in frustration. _I thought what? That he liked me? That there was something there? How stupid am I?_

She strode up to a blonde woman holding a gun and motioned to a tent. "Is this tent occupied? I need some privacy."

The blonde shrugged. "Go ahead."

Blair opened the flap, entered, pulled the flap closed, and unbuttoned her pants, tugging them down and plopping down on a cot in frustration. The tent was bare, except for the one cot and a blanket, and Blair took advantage of it while everyone was gathered around John Connor's tent or standing watch around the perimeter.

She lifted her leg and examined the gunshot wound in her back thigh she'd received during her escape with Marcus. There was a bloody splotch where Kate had removed the bullet, but it wasn't very bad. It could have been worse. She gritted her teeth as she removed the bandage and pulled out a wad of gauze in her pocket.

Her thoughts traveled to the gunshots and the bombs exploding around the minefield. Her allies trying to shoot her down.

_God. What the hell possessed me to do that…?_

She sighed as she dabbed at the sore wound. It hadn't yet closed up entirely, and it was still oozing, but at least it looked like it was healing normally. No infection. The bullet had been removed by Kate a few days ago after Marcus had escaped and after Blair was under strict supervision, but it hadn't gone very deep.

She sighed as she pulled the fresh gauze into a strip around her leg and ripped it from the roll. Wrapping it around her leg a few times, she tied it tightly and checked the wound again.

_It doesn't matter,_ she thought to herself. _I would do it all over again. He's human. He didn't deserve that kind of treatment. We're better than that. Otherwise, what are we fighting for…?_

Blair swallowed as she remembered his face. He had been chained up, screaming and struggling, confused and in pain. When Barnes shot at him, the bullet had ricocheted off of the metal endoskeleton, but it was obvious that it felt like a real gunshot to Marcus as he bellowed out a pained growl. When she took the gun from Barnes and shot at him again, he hadn't yelled out a second time. Instead, he just stared at her. Lost. Vulnerable.

All of his thoughts – confusion, pain, sadness, grief, anger, and helplessness – a thousand questions in his eyes – were there for her to see. It killed her to pull the trigger, but she had to find out for sure.

There was no way a machine could display such raw emotion.

He didn't know or understand what had happened to him, but neither did they. It was obvious he was a horrible experiment concocted by Skynet, but he'd retained all of his human qualities. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

Whatever the machines did to him, no human should endure.

Blair sighed as she pulled her pants back up and patted her wound for last measure. She knew she shouldn't be angry with Marcus. Who was she to blame him? She knew absolutely nothing of his past, and from the looks of things, it seemed as if he could have suffered more than anyone else. If she had found out that Skynet had made her into a half-machine, she'd want to die too.

She sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. _I should find him and apologize. Life's too short to be fighting amongst ourselves._

The minute she stepped out of the tent, however, Barnes had seemed to spot her immediately and advanced.

"Williams! We're going to need you to man a bird for a recon mission. Starts first thing tomorrow morning, before daybreak. Rest up while you can and get something to eat."

Blair blinked. "Whose orders?"

Barnes stared at her, as if she'd committed military blasphemy. "Does it matter?"

"I'm just curious since John isn't even conscious. I hope he knows about this decision." She hadn't meant to accuse Barnes of making a power grab, although that's exactly what it had sounded like. She was just cautious about orders flying around as soon as John was put under anesthesia. With Command unavailable - which was extremely bad news - it was a very dangerous situation.

"Yeah, well, why in the fuck would it make a difference to you?" Barnes snapped. "Since you didn't listen to John's orders about - "

"Just answer the question, Barnes," Blair rolled her eyes.

"It was a decision made by Kate and myself," Barnes replied flatly. "We're going back to the Skynet base in San Francisco to salvage anything that could be helpful to us. We want to haul ass and do this before the machines have a chance to sweep the area…if they haven't already. I'm only assembling a small group to do this, since we don't want to spare that many."

"Will Marcus be going?"

Barnes narrowed his eyes at her.

"He could be helpful, Barnes - "

"Jesus, Blair. You'll still vouch for that…goddamn experiment? An experiment made by Skynet?"

"He's a _human being_, Barnes - "

"If it was up to me, I'd blow _it_ to hell," Barnes interrupted her callously.

"Oh, don't do this," Blair rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "What else does he have to do to prove that he's not a part of Skynet? He _saved_ John, and if it weren't for him, all those other prisoners would be dead too. You can't still believe that he could possibly be a machine - "

"It doesn't matter what I believe," Barnes snapped, "but it does matter what Kate believes, and she didn't mention anything about that _thing_ going on this trip - "

"Then _you_ allow it!" she shot back. "He's a powerful asset to us! For the first time in years, we've got the upper hand! He could have valuable intel on Skynet, and since he's infiltrated it, he might even know where to look!"

"Exactly my fuckin' point," Barnes snarled. "We'll be walking into the goddamn lion's den and you want to bring one of them back to it? We still don't know if the machines can control him somehow. Kate hasn't had time to examine him thoroughly. I won't risk - "

"Just give him a chance! He can help us!"

Barnes rubbed his face and shook his head. "Look, Blair, I don't know how you got this sick obsession and I don't care, but it's really starting to fuck up your perspective on things - "

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" she glared at him angrily.

"What? You want me to spell it out for you? He supposedly saves your life and he's got a pretty face so you'll betray the human race for a walking mechanical dildo - "

Her fist immediately connected with his cheek in response. Any bystander within the vicinity of the argument stared at Blair and Barnes in surprise, the latter resistance member with his head turned, glowering at the ground with a bloody lip. He licked it, spat, and glared at her out of the corner of his eye.

"That was out of line, soldier," Blair said in a low voice, hiding her burning rage behind a calm exterior.

There was a long pause. The surrounding resistance members eventually went about their business, figuring the situation would resolve itself. Barnes finally straightened and stared at her. His jawbones protruded from his cheeks and his nostrils flared in obvious anger, but he didn't reply.

"I'm really disappointed, Barnes," she finally said. "I thought you knew me better than that. I guess not." She turned and swallowed, forcing back the swell of unfamiliar emotion stinging the backs of her eyes, nose, and throat.

"...We leave at dusk tomorrow," he replied in a calm, quiet voice. His eyes, however, looked menacing. "Make sure you're prepared. That's an order."

She clenched her teeth. "Fine."

Without another word, he turned and walked back towards the direction of John's tent.

"Oh, and Barnes," Blair called out in a sharp tone.

He stopped and cocked his head to the side slightly, but didn't turn to face her.

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Don't ever speak to me like that again."


	2. Choice

**_March 1993  
__San Diego, CA_**

"_Ain't found a way to kill me yet  
__Eyes burn with stinging sweat  
__Seems every path leads me to nowhere  
__Wife and kids, household pet…"_

"Scott, why do you listen to this shit?" Marcus made a move for the radio knob, but Scott swatted his hand away.

"C'mon, man. It's Alice in Chains. They're a good band."

"I know they're a good band, but this is the hundredth fucking time you've played this song - "

"It's a good song! Did you listen to the lyrics?"

Marcus set his jaw. "Yeah. Reminds me of dad. Turn it off."

"It doesn't remind _me_ of him. It reminds me of my own shitty life."

"Who cares? Just turn it off! It's giving me a fucking headache!"

"Good song, man."

"Switch the CD. Put in Pearl Jam."

"No!"

"Nirvana, then! Anything but this shit!"

"Aw, come on. We're almost there."

"We're going to blow the deal if they hear us pulling up with this shit playing in the background," Marcus smirked. "You've played it so many goddamn times."

"Fuck 'em," Scott curled a lip. "Just because we give 'em customized rides doesn't mean we have to listen to that spic rap bullshit."

Marcus chuckled. "That's no way to increase the fan base, you fuckin' racist."

"I've had it with these punks, man," Scott shook his head. "Sick and tired of their crap."

"Half of them are older than you, dumbass!"

"Just sayin'. They're assholes."

"It's good money," Marcus shrugged. "They know our faces and they know we jack good shit. It builds trust. Just deal with it. It's not like we're going to be doing this forever."

"Yeah, well, speaking of, I think I've found something a little more worthwhile that could set us up for life," Scott replied.

Marcus glanced at him. "What are you talking about?"

Scott grinned cryptically. "Just something that's better than what we're doing now. Way better."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm working on a deal with a few guys that I really think has some major potential, here - "

"Whoa, whoa. What the fuck are you talking about? Are you planning on quitting the gig we've got?"

"Not quitting…just…goin' off in a different direction."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "What sort of direction?"

"Something better than jacking cars. Something bigger."

"So you're quitting."

"No, just - "

"When were you going to fucking tell me?"

"I was - "

"How long were you talking about this deal, huh? How long were you discussing this bullshit behind my back?"

"It's only talk, man. Nothing's set in stone yet. I wanted to get you in on it."

Marcus looked out of the window in frustration. "Stop the car."

"What?"

"Stop the fucking car!"

Scott shook his head and sighed, slowly rolling to a stop at the side of the road and put the gear in park.

"Scott, what the hell are you thinking?" Marcus turned to face him. "Why would you possibly want to do this?"

"It's a good opportunity, Marcus," Scott countered. "I know these guys – they're good guys – and they told me that there's plenty to go around - "

Marcus held up his hand and narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Wait…wait. You _know_ them? How well do you know them, Scott? How the hell do you know they're good guys?"

"One of our clients has a cousin and I've hung out with him a couple times. He told me that - "

"Are you fucking hearing yourself?"

"Just listen - "

"You've known me your whole _life_," Marcus snapped, "and I've never once cheated you, have I? I'm your brother! You can't fucking trust someone you've only just met, let alone join in on a score you've got no experience in handling - "

"It's simple mechanic work," Scott snapped. "It ain't fuckin' rocket science."

"You _just_ _said_ that it wasn't jacking cars - "

"It's _not_ jacking cars!"

"Then what is it? Jacking cars _is_ fucking simple mechanic work! What's the difference?"

"Trust me, Marcus - "

"Trust you? You won't even trust me! But you'll trust someone's cousin you just met - "

"The guy's been in the business a _long_ time and he's an exception because - "

"All those guys see is a white, gullible, seventeen-year-old -"

"Like you're any different? You're only a year older than me, Marc! Stop acting like you know everything - "

"I'm telling you, Scott, you can't get mixed up in this sort of shit. If you get caught - "

"I'm not gonna get caught," Scott shook his head nonchalantly. "With this sort of deal, there's no way I'll get caught."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Care to explain why?"

"I'm just sayin'…nobody cares about Mexico after all the shit that's been going on in the Gulf - "

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just think about it."

"You didn't answer my question, and your answer _better_ not have anything to do with the fucking border!"

"Look, Marcus…I can't really say why."

"I'm your _brother_!"

"I'll explain it all to you if you'd just give it a chance," Scott added quickly. "I can introduce you to these guys. They want us because we're good with cars and we're good on the road. We're clean. We don't have a record…at least…not for larceny or anything…"

"I plan to fuckin' keep it that way," Marcus growled.

Scott sighed impatiently. "You in or out?"

Marcus set his jaw. There was a long pause as he examined him. "What's going on, Scott? Why are you doing this?"

Scott rolled his eyes and looked away.

"We're making plenty as it is," Marcus pointed out. "We're sitting pretty right now, which is a _hell_ of a lot better than last year. So what's the problem?"

Scott remained silent.

"Did something happen? Is it Sheila? Are you in some sort of trouble?"

Scott shook his head nervously. "Naw, man…" He brought a hand up to his face to rub his eye and Marcus noticed that his fingers were shaking. His gaze trailed down to his inner forearm…and then saw the track marks.

Marcus's jaw dropped and he shook his head. "Oh, no…you're not…you're not dealing again, are you?"

Scott looked down.

"You're fucking _hooked_ again, aren't you?" Marcus accused. "You're _dealing! _You _need_ this job because you're fucking broke! That's the reason, isn't it?"

"Marcus - "

"What in the hell are you spending all your money on?" Marcus snapped angrily. "There's more than enough to finally pay your fuckin' rent, and you and that dumb bitch girlfriend of yours are blowing it all on drugs?"

Scott shook his head and shrugged. "I didn't really mean - "

"Didn't I tell you to stay the hell away from drugs?"

Scott gave Marcus an angry glare. "You're not my goddamn boss - "

"I'm your older brother!"

"So the fuck what?"

"You get pissed off because I always tell you what to do? Well, _fuck_, Scott! I _have_ to fucking tell you what to do because you're too goddamn stupid to make decisions on your own!" Marcus bellowed. "Jesus Christ! This is unbelievable! I mean…are you serious? Are you fucking _serious_?"

Scott shook his head and looked out the window. "I thought you'd want to be in on this - "

"_Fuck_ being in on it!" Marcus snarled. "And you should think twice about bein' in on it too! You need to get out of the drugs - "

"This will pay triple what we're making now," Scott interrupted.

"Uh, _yeah!_ Fuckin' _hazard_ pay!" Marcus snapped in a sarcastic tone. "Do you know the risk involved?"

"I already told you, I'm not going to get caught," Scott replied adamantly. "I'll be protected."

"What in the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"The guys I'm working with - "

Marcus shook his head and held up a hand to interrupt him. "You know what, Scott? I don't care. I don't care. This is fucking stupid and I don't even want to hear any more. If you decide to go through with this, we're done, do you hear me? We're fucking done."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "You don't even know what you're talking about, Marcus. You don't even know what the job is - "

"I don't have to know," Marcus snapped. "I've heard enough to know it's a fucking _stupid_ idea. You should think long and hard about what you're about to do, because nothing good will come of that. I won't be any part of it, do you understand? Don't come running to me if you get into trouble, because I won't be there to pull your fucking ass out. Not this time."

Scott glared ahead at the road and didn't reply.

"Just go. Let's get this deal over with," Marcus grumbled. "After that, you can go and do whatever the hell you want with your life."

There was a brief pause before Scott spoke again. "…So that's how it is, huh?"

Marcus set his jaw. "Yeah. That's how it is."

**_. . ._**

Marcus's eyes snapped open and he sucked in a breath. He blinked. It was dark outside and he was leaning against a large boulder, arms crossed. Kyle and Star were off to the side, in his peripheral vision, and he glanced over at them. Kyle had stopped cleaning a rifle and was eyeing him.

"Bad dreams?"

Marcus blinked again. "Was I asleep?"

Kyle nodded. "You sort of just dozed off where you stood. When's the last time you slept?"

_Hmph. Apart from my fifteen-year slumber…_

Marcus looked at the ground and furrowed his brows. "A few days ago, I guess…"

He'd dozed when he was camped out with Kyle and Star before…and he'd dozed with Blair under his arm on the way to the base…but that was about it. There was literally no time for sleep. He suddenly began to wonder if he even _needed_ sleep. He glanced over at Kyle again.

"You sure I was sleeping?"

Kyle nodded. "You let out a few snores."

Marcus slowly nodded. "…Hm. Guess I didn't realize I was tired."

"You're not the only one," Kyle shrugged nonchalantly, overlooking Marcus's dark sarcasm. "Nobody sleeps around here. I don't remember sleeping for more than a half hour at a time."

Unwilling to hang around crowds, but preferring to stay near Connor's tent and making himself useful, Marcus opted to stand watch overnight, regardless of the fact that the resistance had their own members standing watch. For the most part, they ignored him, and Marcus didn't mind being ignored. Under the circumstances, being ignored was much better than being targeted.

He hadn't seen Blair.

Kyle and Star followed him. Since their return from Skynet., they hadn't strayed very far from Marcus. A silent camaraderie had developed between the trio, which Marcus didn't particularly mind. It was just as well, since Connor wanted Kyle to be protected. Wherever Marcus went, Kyle went. Wherever Kyle went, Star went. It was like having a couple stray dogs trail behind. They opted to sit on the dusty ground, leaning against a wheel of a Jeep, and silently watched Marcus stand alone on the outskirts of the camp with his back turned to them. Occasionally he'd turn towards Connor's tent to observe any progress, then move back to his spot and gaze out over the empty horizon.

The surgery had most likely been over for some time, but Marcus hadn't seen Kate or Barnes. Either Connor died, and they were keeping it on the down-low for now to avoid mass panic, or Connor lived, and he was completely off-limits so he could recuperate.

Either way, it wasn't like anyone was going to let Marcus know anytime soon. As a new member of the resistance, he knew that he probably sat pretty low on the totem pole. Most likely the bottom, given that he was half human and all.

As the night had stretched on and the temperature dropped, Star curled up and put her head in Kyle's lap to sleep. Kyle was busy assembling and cleaning a rifle. Marcus stared up at the clear night sky, observing all the stars and thinking silently to himself.

So much had happened; he hadn't had much time to think.

Now that they were waiting around for news, Marcus didn't have anything else to _do_ but think, and it drove him up the fucking wall. He couldn't get Kate's words out of his head.

Not compatible with the human anatomy.

_That must mean that I'm not human after all._

He lifted up his hand and stared at it.

_But…I can feel things. I can feel pain. I can taste sweat. I can smell the smoke and gunpowder and blood. And I have a mind of my own. I pretty much told Skynet to fuck off. Machines can't do that._

…_Right?_

…_How long have I been like this? How long did it take to…build me? And why did I wake up here…now? _

Marcus sighed and stared back up at the sky.

_When that euthanasia cocktail hit my veins, what happened after that? Did I truly die?_

He gritted his teeth.

…_I must have. Then…how am I here? How is it that over fifteen years have passed and I've stayed the same? I remember the damn execution as if it was yesterday. How am I made of metal but I still look like…me?_

…_What in the hell did Kogan do to me?_

He didn't recall anything else besides dying and then waking up. There was nothing in between.

Was there a heaven? Was there a hell? Did he go to either?

…_What if there really is nothing after death?_

…_Was I put on hold?_

…_Wait. Or…am I already there? What if this is hell?_

He glanced at Kyle and Star. Then he turned back towards the stars and thought about Blair, Connor, and a very pregnant Kate.

_Nah. Hell would be scarier than this._

"Hey. Reese."

Kyle looked up.

Marcus turned his head, glancing at Kyle out of the corner of his eye. "…Do you believe in God?"

Kyle blinked, taken aback. There was a pause as he seemed to think about the question, then he shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it."

Marcus turned back towards the horizon and crossed his arms. There was another long pause until Kyle spoke again.

"I don't really know much about God …but then again…I guess…in a war with machines…there isn't much room for God."

Marcus didn't reply.

"There are some that say we deserved all this," Kyle added softly. "That God was angry with us, and we had it coming. That Judgment Day was our punishment."

Marcus set his jaw as he listened.

"But there are others that say the only reason we survived is _because_ of God. That faith holds us together and gives us the strength to fight," Kyle continued.

"What about you?" Marcus turned. "What do you believe?"

Kyle looked down at Star and sighed. "I was just a little kid when my mom died after Judgment Day. I was raised by anyone who would take me in…random survivors…until I was given a gun and had to hold my own. Nobody told me about God or sin or right or wrong or good or evil…I mean, I've heard stories out of the bible, but it's not like it really mattered. Those stories were always about humans getting along with humans. To try to do the right thing, and not do wrong against someone else. Well…nobody needed to hear _that_ out of a bible to know what's at stake here."

There was a long pause. Marcus turned towards the dark horizon and crossed his arms.

"…It was just us versus them," Kyle finally said. "Humans versus Skynet. Live or die." He paused and stared up at the sky as he thought. "But…along the way, I still learned good from bad. I don't know _how_ I learned it. I just _knew_. Nobody taught me."

"When human survival is at stake, it's only natural to band together," Marcus said, glancing back at him. "What you're talking about is instinct."

Kyle shook his head. "What I'm talking about is _conscience_." He looked down at Star. "_She_ won't walk up to someone and shoot them in the head for a piece of food, because she knows it's _wrong_. How does she know that? She's nine."

"There are plenty of assholes out there that would gun you down for a pair of boots," Marcus countered.

"Everyone has a dark side," Kyle replied. "But we have a choice. _That's_ what separates us from the machines. We can _choose_ to act on that dark side, or we can choose to go another route."

Marcus set his jaw and looked away. "…Choice, huh?"

"My _point_ is that I don't know about God, but I do know that we're _all_ born with a conscience. We can choose right from wrong. _Humans_ are given that gift. And that, I think, is what matters."

Marcus didn't reply. There was another long pause.

"I mean, look at you," Kyle motioned toward him. "You were the first person to step up and offer your heart to John Connor. Machines don't do that. You're more human than any of us."

Marcus glanced back at Kyle, feeling a sharp pang of guilt mixed with appreciation and surprise. Truthfully, he'd originally offered up his heart in hopes of finally ending the fucked up circumstance he'd found himself in. It was selfish, really. He'd died in a shitty world only to wake up in a shittier one. When the opportunity arose to end it all and look like a hero, he jumped at the chance.

But…on the other hand…he knew Connor would help turn the war around. Connor helped people. He knew how to fight against the machines. What in the hell could Marcus offer them? He was half-man, half-machine, he was practically an enemy to both sides, and he'd no fucking clue what was going on, other than that he nearly killed John himself by inadvertently luring him into Skynet headquarters. Giving up his heart to save Connor seemed to be the best thing to do.

Marcus set his jaw and sighed. Who was he kidding? He was a murderer. The State of Texas saw fit to execute him for it. He was killing humans before the machines even existed. And now, in a twist of cruel irony, he came back as a machine trying to be human in a world where humans were being killed by machines.

_I'm not a good guy,_ he'd told Blair. He meant it. It was almost a warning. He didn't want her to get too close. He had almost lost control that night and killed a man. Again. Seeing them hurt a woman brought a flood of memories back – none of them pleasant – and he'd wanted to kill each and every one of them for it.

Instead of heeding his words, though, she'd looked at him straight in the eye without flinching.

_You are,_ she'd replied. _You just don't know it yet._

Her response surprised him. She blindly trusted him without even knowing about his past. He found that he wanted her to be right. Sitting in an iron cage for six years on death row made him think long and hard about his actions. He'd blamed himself for his brother's death and the death of those two cops. It was his fault. He accepted that the minute he'd pulled the trigger.

_I'm guilty. Just cut me up until there's nothin' left._

He had always wondered if things would have been different, had he not gone to visit Scott that day. Now he knew. Things definitely would have been different. They all would have ended up dead anyway.

Which was worse? Death by lethal injection or death by nuclear fire?

"Why do you ask?" Kyle interrupted his thoughts.

Marcus shook his head. "No particular reason. Just wondering."

"Do _you_ believe in God?"

The question threw him off guard, even though he should've seen it coming. He'd never grown up in a religious environment – practically the antithesis – and he'd been exposed to enough crap to make him completely agnostic, as well as flat-out pissed off at religion in general…but all the same, he'd acknowledged to himself that there could be a God.

It was stupid, but as a kid, he'd pray to God every night when his father got drunk, or when his mom was crying, or when something else bad was happening.

God didn't answer his prayers. Instead, social workers came to take him and his brother away after his mother died.

On death row there were plenty of times when priests would come to his cell to try to get him to repent or to confess his sins, but he'd just shake his head and respond, "God already knows what I've done, Father. No point in beating a dead horse." Then he'd give them a dark grin and add, "Oh, sorry. You fellas down here in Texas don't like that phrase, do you? Lemme try another one." He pointed to himself and narrowed his eyes. "You can lead a horse to water, but…" He glared at the priest. "Oops," he said in a low voice, obviously not sorry. "Did it again."

The priest simply shook his head, sighed, and replied, "I will pray that you find your peace with God. You must let go of your anger and regret before they consume you – until even death will not ease your pain."

Marcus didn't listen to his words back then, but now that he was still alive, the eerie truth was beginning to show its ugly head.

…_If there is a God, he's definitely got a sick sense of humor._

There was an extended silence before Marcus finally answered Kyle with a shrug.

"I don't know. Yeah. I guess."

"Have you ever read the Bible?"

"No. Never saw a page of it in my entire life."

Kyle shrugged. "I've never seen one, either. I'm just curious about the stories in it. It sounds like it would be a nice thing to read someday."

Marcus glanced at Kyle with an eyebrow raised. It was interesting. Fifteen years ago he didn't want to have anything to do with a bible. When he thought about it, though…Reese was right. There wasn't really anything _bad_ about it, or any other type of religious scripture, for that matter. Now that it was gone, people seemed to need it more than ever.

Marcus grinned darkly. "Maybe Connor has one. He _is_ like Jesus, after all."

Kyle blinked. "Who?"

Marcus shook his head. "Nobody. Never mind."

There was a long silence as Kyle continued his work and Marcus sighed and gritted his teeth. He wasn't a religious guy, and he didn't know shit about God or heaven, but it was becoming more evident that he had a second chance whether he wanted it or not. Kyle was right. It was his choice. He could choose to do the right thing.

Even though it didn't seem like there were many choices this day in age.

At least Kyle was there to help him…and the squirt…and Blair…

His thoughts traveled to Blair. He hadn't seen her since earlier in the morning. Either she was avoiding him, or she was busy with something.

He assumed it was the former.

He couldn't understand her. It seemed as if she genuinely liked him, and she obviously didn't give a shit about what the others thought. Now that he was here to stay, however…she was nowhere to be found. It bothered him. Blair Williams was the third person he'd come across in the middle of a post-apocalyptic war and she _helped_ him – no questions asked – in more ways than one. He simply felt _calmer_ around her…and she was the only other person he could rely on (besides two kids) in his new, fucked up world.

It felt stupid, but he was paranoid when she wasn't around. He didn't trust anyone else – especially around her – and when she wasn't around, he was constantly in a state of vigilance.

It was as if she _knew_ him. Or, at least, was the only one besides Kyle and Star to completely accept what he was without judgment. When he was dangling there in chains, his skin blown off and exposing his fucking metal guts, the others had given him looks of complete contempt and disgust. Blair, however, looked sad. When she sprung him from that steel makeshift prison of his, he didn't know whether to kiss her or strangle her. Half of him wanted to die and was angry at her for risking her life for something so invaluable, and half of him wanted to live in order to find out what the hell mad scientist Kogan had done to him and was thankful that Blair was on his side. In that split second, though, his decision surprised him. He'd go to Skynet and get Reese and Star.

Blair had risked her life for his. He owed her so much. To this day, he still wondered what in the hell possessed her to do that.

"_Blair! Blair! You okay?"_

_Through a pained grimace, she replied through clenched teeth, "Let's get you out of here." _

_He hauled her up and headed for cover, getting out of the open area, and they ducked again as a shell slammed the ground, kicking up pebbles and dirt. _

_Blair glanced towards the edge of the perimeter that led to the trees. "If you take the woods, it's your best chance of evading their spotlights - "_

_Marcus shook his head. "No! You're coming with me!"_

_Blair glanced down at her thigh. Blood was already seeping through her fingers, and she bit her lip. "I can't."_

"_You can't stay here! They'll kill you! You have to come with me!"_

_An exploding shell nearby made them both duck. "I'll die if I go with you!" Blair yelled back. "Just go, Goddammit!"_

"_Blair - "_

"_If they don't kill me, they'll patch me up and keep me in solitary," Blair barked quickly, glancing around. "I've a better chance here than I would with you. I'll only slow you down. Get out of here before it's too late!"_

_Marcus shook his head but she was already tugging at him._

"_Give me your coat."_

"_What?"_

"_Give me your coat, now!"_

_Gritting his teeth, he quickly pulled off his coat and handed it to her. She shrugged it on and shoved his shoulder. "Now, go!"_

"_I can't just - "_

"_Go! Now!"_

During his trek to Skynet Headquarters, he'd thought of her constantly, hoping she was all right. She'd been shot in the leg and was bleeding heavily.

_I don't want to be responsible for another death,_ he had thought. _Not now. Not again. Not her._

He had grown even more determined to save Reese and the squirt.

Marcus sighed as he thought about the events earlier this morning…how he'd seen Blair again flying the helicopter and was secretly elated that she was alive…then how she kissed him…

…That night in the rain…then again at the campfire…

She was obviously getting friendly with him and it had taken an enormous amount of control on his part not to act like one of those animals he'd just kicked the crap out of. He set his jaw as he thought about when she'd tended to her wound in the rain.

How long had it been since he'd had sex? Six years? Seven? Well…technically…fuck. Twenty-two years.

…Nah. Six years. Being dead for fifteen years didn't count. But still. Six years. Damn.

He gulped and thought about her in the rain again. She caught him looking at her and obviously didn't mind. Shit, she practically _invited_ him over. Never mind that they were surrounded by all sorts of hell on earth.

The only thing that stopped him that night, really, was the nagging suspicion that something just…wasn't…right. Even though part of him still believed he was dreaming, and part of him thought he was stuck in some sort of weird purgatory, he didn't want to push his luck by nailing a hot woman that had literally dropped out of the sky.

Besides, he kinda liked her, and she was his only guide in a world he didn't recognize anymore. He didn't want to ruin anything. Random pity fucks killed relationships quicker than...well…everything else that got killed around here.

Wait. _What_ relationship?

_Christ. Leave it to a woman to make things complicated, even after the apocalypse._

He took a deep breath and sighed, forcing Blair's wet, bare skin out of his head and focused on the cold darkness ahead of him instead.

At least one thing was certain; machines didn't get erections. That night, when he was soaking wet looking for firewood and instead found a half-naked temptress staring back at him, he was anything but a machine.

He almost chuckled. Thank God Skynet was gracious enough to give him his fucking manhood.

"How long do you think it's been?"

Kyle's voice startled Marcus and he swirled around to glare at him, wondering how in the hell Reese knew he was thinking about sex –

Kyle cocked his head towards John's tent. "Since the doctor started to operate on him. Do you think they're finished?"

Marcus blinked and glanced at the tent, which was still under heavy guard. "…I don't know. It has to have been at least twelve hours. I don't think surgeries take that long…"

_But then again, we are back in the stone age._

"I guess they're not going to let us know anytime soon," Kyle sighed and placed the rifle at his side. "Might as well try to get as much sleep as we can…before we go out there again."

Marcus gazed at the dark horizon ahead of him. Somewhere, Skynet was plotting its next move. It was analyzing its massive failure and how it underestimated the humans. It was regrouping…rebuilding…recalculating…

He knew he was now part of a worldwide war that was far from over. At least he'd finally chosen the right side.

Marcus nodded somberly. "…Yeah."

**_. . ._**

The sun was barely up when Marcus jerked awake to the sound of a jeep speeding by. He looked around groggily and found that he was sitting on the ground, propped up by a large boulder. Kyle and Star, curled up against the wheel of a jeep, jolted up as well.

Marcus blinked and stood slowly, glancing around. Several soldiers had started to assemble their gear and trotted towards some tents to rouse others. A few were assembling near a landing pad where a Blackhawk helicopter – or a future version of it – was stationed.

He narrowed his eyes. "Something's up."

Kyle stood immediately and started to look around as well. "What?"

"I don't know," he replied grimly, "but I'm going to find out."

"I'm coming with you."

"No," Marcus held up his hand. "Stay here and keep an eye on the squirt. Get something to eat. I won't be long."

Walking around the camp, he knew nobody would stop to answer his questions, so he kept a sharp eye open and scoured the area for…

…a particular helicopter pilot running towards the pad, already in a flight suit, carrying a pair of gloves and a helmet…

Marcus trotted towards her. "Blair! Blair!"

She stopped and glanced around, finally finding where the voice was coming from and took a few steps towards him. She looked relieved to see him, but she also looked slightly distressed and rushed.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"A small team is heading out to salvage anything from the Skynet blast," Blair explained quickly.

"Are you flying that?"

Blair nodded.

His expression darkened. "Then I'm coming with you."

She shook her head. "You can't. I'm sorry. Barnes ordered - "

"Williams! Let's move!" A random soldier had barked out an order.

"Where is he?" Marcus demanded. "I need to talk to him."

"I'm sorry, Marcus, there's no time," Blair shook her head and put on a pair of gloves. "I have to go - "

"Williams! T-minus-five minutes!"

Marcus stepped forward and grabbed her arm. He looked around and lowered his voice, locking eyes with her. "You can't leave."

She looked up at him and furrowed her brows, examining the concern in his face. "Why?"

"Where's Barnes?" he repeated.

Blair blinked. "Marcus, what's wrong?"

"I need to talk to him, Blair."

After seeing the look in his eyes, she slowly nodded and let out a defeated sigh. "Follow me."

She strode towards a covered tent, Marcus close at her heels, and motioned towards it.

"He should be in there, although an order's an order, Marcus. I have to get ready. I'm already on Barnes's shit list so I think you'll be able to handle yourself – Marcus!"

He'd already stepped through the tent before she could finish her sentence. She let out a disgruntled sigh and followed him.

Barnes was scouring over a few maps and loading a weapon when he noticed Marcus step through, followed by Blair.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing in here?" Barnes snapped and immediately pointed a pistol at him.

"Barnes, wait! Cool it!" Blair held up a hand.

"Where's that chopper headed?" Marcus asked him in a low voice.

"None of your damn business," Barnes growled back. "Now, step back or I'll shoot you."

"You're going back out to the blast zone, aren't you?"

"I told you to step back!"

"You can't go back out there without support," Marcus ignored him. "What if machines are already swarming the area?"

"Get the chopper ready," Barnes glanced over at Blair and ignored Marcus.

Blair hesitated, glancing at Marcus.

"_Now_, Williams," Barnes snarled.

She set her jaw and gave him a sour glare before exiting the tent.

"You're not seriously considering doing this with one squad," Marcus narrowed his eyes.

"Get the fuck out of my tent," Barnes replied flatly.

"What are you expecting to accomplish out there?"

"It's none of your concern! We'll handle it," Barnes snapped, turning to walk out of the tent with his gear.

"Handle it how?" Marcus followed him. "With one chopper?"

Barnes ignored him and strode towards the helicopter, which was being powered on by Blair. The engine started to emit a high-pitched whine and the blades started to circle. Troops had started to assemble and load up.

"Barnes! BARNES!"

The soldier ignored him and continued to walk away. Marcus ran a hand across his head and swore.

_Fuck._ He'd wanted to wait until Connor was awake to mention it, but…

"It won't work!" Marcus yelled. "The disabling signal was bait! Command's gone!"

Barnes swirled around and narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"

"I said Command's been wiped."

"How do you know that?"

"You've isolated a radio frequency that's supposed to bring down machines, right?"

Barnes took a step forward and cocked his head, as if he didn't hear him correctly. "_What?_"

"It won't work," Marcus repeated. "The frequency was purposely released by Skynet so it could track down Command. If you continue to use it, it'll only reveal your position."

Barnes curled a lip. "Learned a lot at your home base, didn't you?"

"I'm telling you, don't fucking go out there!" Marcus snarled. "At least not with so few. Send more out there."

Barnes pointed at Marcus angrily. "I can only hope that they plug your ass into something and extract every bit of information there is about Skynet. If you're lying to me, I swear to God - "

"It's not a lie!" Marcus snapped. "It's the truth!"

Barnes glared at him and there was a short pause. He glanced back at Blair, who was at the cockpit with a helmet on and gave him the thumbs up sign, indicating that they were ready to go, then he glanced back at Marcus again.

Marcus was watching Blair, but his eyes darted back to Barnes. "Don't do it. Not until Connor's back on his feet."

Barnes let out a short sigh. "It's not my call. Stay here and _don't_ do anything stupid."

With that, he turned and trotted towards the helicopter. Marcus shook his head angrily and swore. He watched helplessly as the helicopter lifted off, kicking up swirls of dust and hot wind that blew across the perimeter.

…_Shit!_

…_Who in the fuck authorized this crap? Aren't we supposed to be the intelligent species here?_

Marcus found himself in full stride towards John Connor's tent, which was still under heavy guard. He was tired of being kept in the dark – not knowing anything, including about himself, was beginning to seriously piss him off – and he would find out, once and for all, whether or not he could be of any use to anyone.

If not, he'd at least be good for scrap metal.

The guards were already bellowing orders at him, but he barely heard them.

"Stop right there! Stop! Hands on your head! Do it!"

"Put your hands on your head! Down on your knees! Stop!"

He was apprehended and wrenched down to his knees before he even reached the flap of the tent and his hands were placed behind his head forcefully.

"I'm not armed," he snapped. "I just want to speak with the doctor - "

"What is going on?" Kate stepped out of the tent to address the ruckus.

"He was attempting to enter the tent without authorization, doctor," one of the guards explained.

Kate glanced down at him. "What is it, Marcus?"

"I wanted to check on Connor but I forgot to bring flowers," Marcus glared up at Kate.

She set her jaw and crossed her arms, unamused.

"I just wanted to ask about the fucking _suicide_ mission Barnes just went on," Marcus curled a lip. "Did you send them out there?"

Kate let out a sigh and nodded to the guards. "You can let him go."

"But…doctor…"

"I said let him go." She glanced at Marcus. "You're not allowed near here, Marcus. I suggest you go and wait somewhere until further orders."

Marcus narrowed his eyes and stood up, but refused to turn back. He followed Kate into the tent before the guards could protest again.

"You didn't answer my question! What kind of an order was that?" Marcus barged into the tent, wrenching himself away from the guards' grasp.

"I gave the order," John Connor's voice replied huskily. Kate slowly moved aside and revealed him lying there on the cot, propped up, staring at Marcus with a neutral expression on his face. The fresh scrape that ran across his eye was still pink. His shirt was off but an enormous amount of gauze and padding was taped to his chest. IV drips were attached to his arms. Regardless of his condition, however, John Connor didn't look like he'd just had a heart transplant. His skin had already returned to a normal color and he didn't look as if he was in any pain.

Looks could be deceiving, Marcus knew.

"Connor. Good. You're alive," Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Now I can kill you."

John raised an eyebrow. "Considering your predicament, that's not a good way to gain a fresh start."

Marcus curled a lip at him angrily. "Why did you send them out there? You don't know what could happen - "

"Neither do you," John interrupted quietly.

"That disabling signal was phony - "

"It doesn't matter," he countered calmly.

"San Francisco is probably _crawling_ with machines - "

"There's a chance Skynet might deem sweeping San Francisco an unnecessary tactic," he replied.

"I could have gone with them!" Marcus snapped. "What else am I _good_ for? What the fuck am I standing around here for? I could have gone with and given them protection."

John was surprised at this response. So was Kate. They both regarded him with piqued interest and exchanged glances with one another. There was a brief silence before John spoke again.

"Before I send you on any missions, Marcus, we need to be sure that Skynet's lost complete control of you - "

"I guess what I've done so far doesn't count," Marcus snapped angrily. "What else do you need me to do, Connor? Donate my bleeding fucking heart? Oh, WAIT - "

"That's enough from both of you," Kate stepped in front of Marcus sternly, blocking John from view and preventing any more tense exchanges from taking place. "John needs his rest and so do you."

Marcus was about to open his mouth in protest when she interrupted him again.

"What John is saying is that if you really want to help us, Marcus, then I'll need to perform a more thorough scan on your body so we can identify your physical needs - "

"Trying to find out if I'd be good for body armor?" he curled a lip.

"You may shut down at any time," Kate countered tersely. "We don't know enough about your physiology to help you. I need to run some tests to ensure that _doesn't_ happen. Do you understand?"

Her response was enough to silence him.

"If Kate's right about your tissues, then we'll have to find out how to accommodate you," John added. Kate moved to the side again so he could speak directly to Marcus. "You still have a human heart that's pumping synthetic blood - "

"I don't care about all that shit!" Marcus interrupted angrily, swiping a hand across the air dismissively. "I'm not _worth_ it! Why would you waste your time on me? Just put me out there with the rest of the soldiers and I'll - "

"Not yet," John interrupted.

"So you'll toss caution to the wind and send a squad out to get slaughtered without my help?"

"You've been a member of the resistance for less than forty-eight hours," John replied calmly. "This war has been going on for fifteen years. If I were you, I wouldn't start questioning the basis of my decisions."

Marcus scoffed. "_Only_ fifteen years? It's obvious your methods aren't working."

"They weren't my methods…up until yesterday. Now Command's gone and I'm in charge. I believe things will start to change."

Marcus narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"Barnes's mission is only one of many that we'll have to make in order to gather more intel on the machines," John continued. "We're at war, Marcus. People die in war. I didn't want to send them out there, but we have no choice."

Marcus narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, as if he didn't hear Connor correctly. "No _choice?_ Of course you have a choice. You can _choose_ to get out of this hole and target another mainframe - "

"We've just obliterated Skynet's Headquarters. San Francisco has been the acting central hub for fifteen years, and now it's gone. Skynet's crippled, but it's not down. We have to go back out there to pick up anything we can find - "

"Why not ask me?" Marcus glared at him. "I know you've been _aching_ to tear me apart."

"Believe me, I _will_ get what I want from you," John glared back at him, unfazed. "But for now, we need to salvage anything physical we can lay our hands on. Anything that could give us clues. Anything…that could lead us to the next step…"

Marcus blinked at him. _The next step?_ "Speaking in parables again, eh, Connor?"

"That's enough," Kate attempted to halt the conversation once again. "Marcus, you'll have to leave - "

"You knew about the disabling frequency?" Marcus asked John, interrupting Kate.

"No, but since Command can't be reached, we pretty much figured out that something was wrong. It appears as if you knew as well, Marcus. What else have you discovered while at Headquarters?"

He ignored the comment. "If you knew, then why did you send one chopper out there? You should've sent an entire fucking fleet - "

"I've already told you…we can't spare that many. It's a decision I had to make so we can ultimately win this war for the entire human race - "

"I don't _care_ about the human race," Marcus snapped angrily. "Look at me! I'm not even _part_ of the goddamned human race anymore! Does it look like I give a shit now?"

John blinked groggily and let out a hoarse chuckle. "You don't care?"

Marcus set his jaw and didn't reply.

John looked at a guard and nodded to him. "Give him your gun."

Kate stepped forward in shock. "John - "

"It's all right," he interrupted her. "Go on. Give him your gun."

The guard hesitated, but after another nod from John, slowly pulled his handgun from its holster and handed it to Marcus.

"Shoot me, Marcus," John instructed.

"John - !" Kate gasped. The guards took a menacing step towards Marcus.

Marcus simply glared at John.

"Go ahead," John stared back. "You don't care about the human race? Then shoot me. Killing me will be enough to doom them all."

"John, that's enough - " Kate's shaky tone was interrupted.

"Stay back," John warned the guards sharply, who had already begun to advance. "That's an order."

There was a long, tense silence as John and Marcus glared at each other. Kate hugged herself nervously and waited, glancing back and forth between them with a frightened look on her face, and the guards stood rigid and ready to pounce.

Finally, Marcus narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "You're one arrogant son of a bitch, aren't you?"

John remained silent, keeping his stoic gaze on Marcus.

Marcus let out a sigh and raised the gun. The guards twitched, ready to restrain him, but he pointed the barrel up towards the sky and ejected the magazine, then emptied the chamber by pulling back the slide and tossed the gun to the ground, giving John one last angry scowl. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the tent.

The guards looked slightly dumbfounded, not knowing what to do next.

"Watch him," Kate ordered. "But don't provoke him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid…and he is _not_ allowed to leave the premises."

The guards obeyed and left the tent.

"Jesus!" Kate turned and hissed angrily at John. "I don't know what in the _hell_ sort of testosterone-laden feud is going on between you two, but you'd better stop it! _Now!_"

A tiny smile crept across John's face.

"God damn it, John, this isn't funny!" Kate snapped. "You're in absolutely no condition _whatsoever_ to get all worked up over nothing! You shouldn't even be discussing battle strategy! You should be sleeping! And thanks to you," she motioned towards the tent angrily, "I have to go follow an angry hybrid – who may or may not be psychologically unstable given the circumstances – and run some more tests, which I'm _sure_ he'll appreciate – _what?_"

She had cut her rant short upon seeing his smirk grow even wider.

"You're beautiful when you're mad," John simply replied.

"_Don't_ change the subject."

"It's true."

"You're trying to distract me, aren't you?"

"You shouldn't be upset right now, Kate. Think about the baby."

Kate sighed. "And you shouldn't be overdoing it either, John. Think about your heart."

He nodded and rested his head back against the pillow. "Fair enough."

"Would you mind telling me what just happened? For Christ's sake, John, if you want to win this war, you shouldn't start by antagonizing a Skynet hybrid."

"I knew he wouldn't do it," John replied. "Marcus is, in fact, human. He's proven that several times. What _I_ want to find out is what exactly Skynet's done to him. He has absolutely no memories about the war, Kate. _None._ Yet…he said he was born in 1975. If that's true, he should be over forty years old. Something isn't right."

"Do you think Skynet's programmed synthetic memories into his system?" Kate asked.

John pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. I don't think Skynet has the capability to generate human memories and plant them into a computer…or a brain…" He sighed and rubbed his face. "I just don't know. All this time, I've memorized the information my mother has given me…but after seeing Marcus…I just don't know anymore…"

Kate stepped over to him and gripped his hand. "It will all make sense in time, John. For now, I need you to rest. Try to get some sleep…and I'll try to have a talk with Marcus."

"I don't want you speaking with him alone," John gave her a stern look. "Take Barnes with you once he returns."

"I thought you trusted him?"

"I do. I just…don't trust his temper. Marcus is a very angry individual…" John trailed off. After a pause, he added quietly, "…He's like me."

Kate nodded. "And Blair?"

John blinked. "What about Blair?"

"She's…obviously grown very close to Marcus, John," Kate explained quietly. "And…if I'm not mistaken…the reason he was so angry about this mission was because Blair was going."

"You think so?"

Kate nodded. "Woman's intuition, I suppose."

"Hrm."

"If we run tests, she'll want to know what we do to him. If I manage to analyze Marcus more thoroughly and relay information, do you want her to be involved?"

John sighed. Blair was almost never involved in discussing confidential information like Barnes was. She didn't know about Kyle Reese or his mother, and John preferred to keep it that way to minimize confusion. He had a feeling all that was about to change – at least as far as Marcus was concerned.

Blair Williams always was a stubborn little spitfire, but at least she listened to orders. That is…until Marcus Wright came along.

But if it wasn't for her, Kyle Reese would be dead, and Skynet would have won.

"Yes. I trust her. Besides, if she's as close to him as you say she is, maybe she could convince him to cooperate with you."

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_ I am **not **trying to be preachy about religion or the Mexico/USA border. I'm just trying to be as realistic as possible with this story, simply writing how I think the characters might have acted or thought before/after judgment day. So do NOT be offended. The tones in this chapter don't reflect my personal views.


	3. Human

Marcus glared at Kate with piercing blue eyes. "Ow."

She glanced at him. "Does that really hurt, or are you just saying that?"

He looked down at the hollow syringe and watched as maroon liquid pooled into the plastic. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but I _can_ feel that."

"You didn't answer my question. Does it hurt? Or is it just a sensation?"

He set his jaw and looked away, not wanting to think about the last time a needle was in his vein. "Kinda. Doesn't hurt that much."

Kate exhaled through her nostrils and resisted the urge to tell him to quit acting like a five year old.

"So…what're we doing this for again? I thought you said my blood wasn't human. Why bother looking at it?"

"I said that your blood doesn't match any of the documented human _types_," Kate replied as she turned to a bench and emptied the syringe of maroon liquid into a small test tube. "I never said that your blood wasn't human."

Marcus rolled his eyes and pressed the cotton square against the crook of his elbow. "Don't patronize me, doc. I know what you think of me."

Kate added a second liquid to the test tube, shook it, and placed it in a rickety centrifuge. She turned, crossed her arms, and looked at him.

"You saved my husband. You helped all those trapped people escape. I think you're a good person, Marcus. But you have to understand why we couldn't trust you. Skynet will do everything in its power to eliminate John."

He looked down and set his jaw, trying to ignore the fact that he _was_ the spy. Kate turned back to her work and there was a long silence before Marcus looked up at her again.

"Why?"

She glanced back at him. "Why what?"

"Why does Skynet want John Connor so badly?"

She pursed her lips and turned around, refusing to answer. She turned back to the bench and there was a brief pause before Marcus spoke up again.

"Who is Kyle Reese?"

Kate stopped her work, but didn't turn around.

"What is he to John Connor?" Marcus asked.

There was a pause before she answered.

"I think those are questions only John can answer."

"And he's been conveniently unavailable for the past two weeks."

"He's still recovering from the surgery," Kate replied rigidly. "On top of that, he's now in charge of the entire resistance movement, and getting things organized hasn't been easy. Nobody is allowed to see him – not even you. Not after the crap you pulled."

Marcus opened his mouth to argue that it was _Connor's_ idea, not his, to pull the fuckin' trigger. He opted to remain silent and checked the cotton. Just a little splotch of blood had been left behind. The hole was nearly closed.

_It's real flesh and blood, though it seems to heal itself quickly,_ he remembered Kate's horrible words that night as he was bound in chains.

"So…what will you be able to find out from all this?" Marcus asked in a low voice.

"The scan we performed on you earlier will be compiled into a computer so I can analyze it," Kate replied, still working at the bench. "From there, we'll be able to take a look at your physiology and determine how it works. Since we don't exactly have high-tech medical equipment here, it will be impossible to perform a full CT-scan or MRI – both would tell us exactly which organs are present in your body – but we can still make do with what we've got."

"…Then what? Figure out how to kill me?"

Kate kept working and moved to a microscope, glancing through the lens. "No. How to keep you alive."

He remained silent.

There was a long pause before Kate straightened from the microscope and nodded towards his left hand. "I can attempt to fix that, if you'd like."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Fix it?"

"Restore your living tissue around the exposed skeleton."

"Yeah? How?"

"The skin looks cauterized around the wrist. Did you burn it?"

"Not my choice," Marcus grumbled. "But yeah. Burned right off."

"I can re-open that and we can see if that stimulates tissue regeneration."

Marcus held up his hand. "Re-open? You mean slit my wrist?"

"That's not quite what I meant, but…yes. I'll use a surgical knife to cut the cauterized tissue off - all the way around the wrist – and re-bandage it. I'll monitor your healing from time to time."

"So this'll bring my whole hand back? Do you really think that's going to work?"

"Lift up your shirt."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, doc…didn't think you were into that sorta - "

"I want to examine your chest wound, Marcus," Kate interrupted in exasperation. "Lift it up."

Marcus reluctantly obliged and she bent over to take a look, gave him an approving nod, and turned to write something down on a clipboard.

"Almost completely healed, I see."

"Yeah. Took a couple of weeks."

Kate shrugged. "I don't see why it wouldn't work with your hand. The tissues seem to interact with the metal in a strange sort of…biomechanical synchrony. There's no way of really knowing until I do it…but you really don't have anything to lose, either."

Marcus glanced at his hand. "Sounds like it's gonna hurt like hell."

"If you feel pain, then - "

"I _do_ feel pain."

"Then yes, it will hurt."

He clenched his jaw and let out a sigh. "Then what're we waiting for? Let's get it overwith."

"All right. Hold your arm out and make a fist. Try not to flinch or pull back, because it'll only make it worse."

He silently complied.

She moved from the bench, carrying a scalpel and some alcohol. Swabbing the blade, she slowly examined the cauterized flesh and brought the scalpel down into his skin.

Marcus clenched his teeth and blinked, trying to force the pain from his mind, but as Kate pressed harder, he sucked in a breath and winced. "Mother _fuck!_"

"Try not to think about it," she replied absent-mindedly, focusing on the wound.

"Yeah? Tell Barnes to come in here and shoot me," he snapped bitterly. "That'll take my mind offa – _ah!_ God _damn_ - "

"Almost done," Kate narrowed her eyes as she ran the scalpel through the bleeding flesh. "Hold still. Turn your arm over…"

Marcus looked away and pursed his lips, breathing hard through his nostrils, attempting to remain calm. He'd been through worse than this, after all. Shot. Executed. Beat to hell by fuckin' Optimus Prime. Blown up. Shot again. Beat to hell again by another machine.

Cake, right?

"Son of a _bitch_," he hissed and jerked his wrist back. "Are you enjoying this?"

"I'm trying to make the cut as clean as possible," Kate huffed back. "Don't move."

"What are you using, a dull butter knife you found on the ground?"

She ignored him and continued to work, covering up the fresh cuts with gauze as she went around his wrist. "There. Finished. Let me tie you off and put some gauze around it…"

Marcus moved his mechanical fingers, which made the throbbing pain even worse. Blood dripped from the thin gauze and Kate wrapped more around it until there was a thick white bulge around his wrist, separating the flesh from the metal.

"What if it heals where it's at?" Marcus pointed at his wrist. "Should you be bandaging it up?"

"The gauze shouldn't prevent your tissue from regenerating," Kate shook her head. "I'd rather not bandage it up, but you'll continue to bleed everywhere if I don't."

"Hrm."

"You're finished for now, Marcus. I'll come and get you as soon as I compile the rest of your test results."

He lifted an eyebrow and gave her a sarcastic smirk. "Do you need to see my insurance card?"

Kate didn't smile back; instead, she ignored his comment and gave the metal door two hard pounds. It was immediately opened by Barnes, who stood waiting with a large machine gun slung over his shoulder.

"Let's go."

Marcus sighed and walked out of the room, slightly annoyed that Barnes had to accompany him everywhere he went. Ever since they returned to the base two weeks ago, the second-in-command didn't let him out of his sight. The order most likely came from Connor or Kate; either way, it was obvious they still didn't fully trust him, especially now that he was completely exposed to the resistance. Marcus wasn't allowed to wander, and if he did get any free time, it was with Reese and the squirt, but he was still always under surveillance.

Two weeks ago, after John Connor's surgery was over and it was safe to mobilize him, everyone was airlifted out of the temporary camp and moved to a large base. Marcus hadn't a clue where he was – they were in the air for hours – and wasn't sure if they'd gone north or south from San Francisco. Either way, they still ended up in the desert, but since they'd arrived, Marcus was not allowed to be above ground. He was sequestered in a small metal room within the underground bunker and wasn't able to see anyone else, for the most part. Kate had run a few tests on him and monitored his healing, while Barnes would constantly guard him. Reese and Star were allowed to come and visit, but even they had little news on their whereabouts.

_"Things are slow," Kyle had admitted, crossing his arms and glancing around inside Marcus's metal room. "Not much is going on above ground. More people are arriving but that's it. It's like they're waiting for something."_

_"Probably waiting on Connor," Marcus nodded. "Have you heard anything?"_

_"No. I was hoping you heard something."_

_Marcus shook his head. "Seems like he's ok, but the doc hasn't said much."_

_Star was trying to climb up on the high metal table, where Marcus was sitting. It somewhat resembled a medical cot, but was possibly an examination table. After several tries with no success, Marcus leaned over, picked her up, and plopped her next to him._

_"Why are they keeping you down here, anyway?" Kyle had asked. "I thought John made it clear that you weren't a threat."_

_"Good question."_

_"How are they treating you?"_

_Marcus shrugged. "The room service sucks, but at least I'm not in chains."_

_Kyle blinked, puzzled at the term 'room service,' but decided not to ask._

_"The doc's been running a few science experiments on me," Marcus continued. "I guess they don't completely trust me yet."_

From what Reese had gathered and relayed to Marcus, the resistance was laying low for now; not because they needed the rest, but because John Connor needed time to regroup and heal. However, they needed to move fast – the San Francisco hub had been obliterated and it was time to strike Skynet hard. From what Marcus could also hear by earshot was that there was another central hub located in Virginia. A few major targets also included Colorado Springs, St. Louis, Atlanta, and of course, the Maryland / D.C. area. That was just in the U.S. alone. Of course, other resistance factions and random pockets around the nation were doing the best they could to fight back, but communications was a bitch. Skynet had control of the satellites and radio was risky. Another hurdle John Connor had to overcome.

Barnes led him down the cramped, dark, metal corridor, passing by small rooms and stepping over people sitting along the wall. He was walking quickly, so Marcus barely had enough time to glance inside the rooms as he was trying to keep up and step over sleeping children or resting soldiers. He hadn't recognized any of his surroundings and didn't see anything familiar above ground when they landed, since technically he was unconscious when they brought him in and hadn't bothered to sightsee above ground during his escape.

"Is this where I was…you know…kept?"

Barnes didn't reply.

"Is this the same base? Are we still in California?"

No response.

Marcus grit his teeth and let out an audible sigh. "Look, I know you hate my fucking guts, but we're on the same team. Like it or not, I'm here to stay."

"Jury's still out on that one," Barnes snapped back.

His choice of words struck a nerve. "I'm part of the resistance now," Marcus growled. "What else do I have to fucking do to prove that to you? I guess saving Connor wasn't enough?"

Barnes swirled around. "You can start by shutting the _fuck_ up," he hissed. "You're here because John Connor hasn't instructed otherwise. Ain't nobody said you're a member of the resistance. Now move." He turned and started to march down the hall again, which led to a set of large double-doors.

Marcus didn't follow. "I didn't kill your brother, Barnes. Skynet did."

Barnes whipped around a second time, livid. He strode towards Marcus and shoved a finger in his face. "You don't know _shit_ about my brother!"

"I do know," Marcus said in a low voice, keeping his gaze on Barnes. "My brother died, too. He died when it should have been me. If it wasn't for me…"

Barnes narrowed his eyes. "Bullshit."

"Believe what you want, but it's true. I have to live with that every fucking day, until the day I die…_if_ I die. I'm _stuck_ like this, Barnes. Don't think I _want_ to be like this. You wanna kill me? Go ahead. Do it. I _welcome_ it."

Barnes glared at him. After a long pause, he silently turned around and began walking. He didn't speak again until he reached a metal staircase and led Marcus through the large double doors to blaring sunlight.

After Marcus's eyes adjusted, he looked around. There wasn't anything that much different than what he expected; dusty, yellow sand, dead trees, tumbleweeds, hot winds, and resistance members walking around. Army green tents littered the ground, as did jeeps and humvees fashioned with large machine guns in the rear of the vehicles, facing upwards towards the sky. There seemed to be more people than before; a few children were playing soccer with a slightly-deflated ball. People stood in line to receive food at one of the tents. A few other youngsters were sitting in a circle, disassembling and reassembling guns, listening to someone instruct them on how to load ammunition and fire quickly.

A few hundred yards away from the underground bunker, across the dusty ground, was a large hangar that held at least a dozen helicopters, cargo planes, and fighter jets.

Marcus blinked. "Damn."

"We had to move operations since Williams led you straight to our old one," Barnes explained shortly. "It's possible Skynet had a trace."

"…You mean we're at a different base?"

The only response he got was a curt nod.

Marcus set his jaw and crossed his arms. "You know…it wasn't her fault. She didn't know."

Barnes didn't reply.

There was another long pause. Marcus ran his good hand across his head and let out a sigh. "So…what do we do now?"

"We wait," Barnes replied. "But _you're_ on guard duty. I'll station you towards the edge of the perimeter until nightfall. Raise hell if you see anything moving out there, I don't care what it is. A tumbleweed. A fuckin' coyote. Anything. Understand?"

Marcus was about to smartmouth a response about robotic night vision when he noticed a tall, dark-haired female cross the platform towards a far-off hangar. She was carrying a dirty rag and had unbuttoned her jacket, obviously uncomfortable and hot.

"Blair!"

She stopped and glanced at him. "Marcus!"

He stepped forward and wanted to say something, but realized that there wasn't really anything to say, given that they hadn't seen each other in two weeks due to the troop mobilization and he had a pissed off Barnes escorting him around. What could he say? Hi? What's new?

She was about to step forward to greet him, but glanced at Barnes and stopped.

The was a brief, awkward silence.

Barnes finally set his jaw and rolled his eyes. "Go on. Take him to the northern perimeter for guard duty. _Don't_ make me regret this, Williams."

They both blinked at him in surprise as he turned away and walked back down to the underground bunker.

There was a pause.

Blair put a hand on her hip and slung the rag over her shoulder. "Huh. I think that was his way of apologizing to me. Or forgiving me."

Marcus glanced at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Come on."

As she walked through the base towards the northern perimeter, Marcus glanced around, surprised at the amount of weaponry, vehicles, and aircraft. "How many bases does the resistance have?"

"Not enough."

He narrowed his eyes at the enormous planes, cargo, weapons, helicopters, and the airstrip. "How is it that Skynet doesn't know about them? This place is practically _advertised_ as a target."

"Electromagnetic resonance," Blair replied. "I'm not quite sure how it works, but EM power stations have been strategically placed around the base that emit strong signals into the atmosphere…like a cloaking signal…so satellite imaging won't pick up any of our hiding spots. The signals are strong enough to make our base invisible but weak enough to keep our aircraft and electronics working properly. We can't stay in one spot for too long, though. HK's will never stop sweeping the area for human hotspots."

"How remote are we?"

"As remote as we can possibly get. But then again…there are a lot of remote places these days. Not much human activity anywhere, no matter where you go."

"Are we still in California?"

Blair glanced at him. "No. Mexico." Her gaze traveled down at his hand and her eyes widened. "Jesus! You're bleeding!"

Marcus furrowed his brows and glanced down. Blood was dripping from the mechanical fingers and the gauze had been completely soaked through.

She stepped forward. "What happened?"

"The doc said my skin would grow back if she cut it open," Marcus explained gruffly, knowing he was butchering the technical jargon. "Guess it's not working, though."

"Aren't you in pain?"

"Well…yeah…but I didn't know it was bleeding this bad…"

Blair turned and headed back towards the bunker. "I'm going to get some more gauze - "

Marcus stepped forward and grabbed her with his good hand. "Wait…"

She turned and glanced at him.

He lifted up his mechanical hand. The entire exposed surface was covered in blood, and some of it had already started to dry into a sticky, rust color. "I think it's supposed to do this."

She stepped forward and watched as he slowly removed the bloody gauze and examined the wound. It was oozing and still bleeding, but soft, sinewy tissue had started to extend out from the wrist.

Blair leaned forward. "Is that…muscle?"

Marcus curled a lip. "I guess."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh. Wow."

"That's fucked up."

"You need to go back down to medical."

Marcus couldn't help but let out a disgruntled sigh. "No thanks. I've been down there for the past two weeks."

"You're bleeding everywhere. You've got to be patched up."

"What about you?"

Blair blinked. "What about me?"

He slowly stepped forward. "You look like you need a break."

She looked down, suddenly conscious of her dirty, greasy skin and unkempt hair. She'd been trying to help the crew repair a few helicopters and clean the grease and sand from the engines and gears. She had to keep herself busy. She had to keep her mind off of him while he was trapped down there. As a result, however, she hadn't slept or washed, too focused on her work. Blair absent-mindedly wiped her hands with the dirty rag, acutely aware of how awful she must've looked.

"Well…there was a lot of work to be done around here…"

"If you needed someone to help with repairs, why didn't you come and get me?"

"I wasn't allowed to see you."

Marcus furrowed his brows. "What?"

"I was told to wait until you were released."

That didn't make any sense. Reese and the squirt were allowed to come and go as they pleased. "Who told you that? Barnes?"

"No. Kate did."

**_. . ._**

Marcus pounded on the door to the infirmary until Kate answered on the other side.

"Marcus?"

He held up his bloody hand. "I need a band-aid."

She narrowed her eyes. "It bled through that quickly?"

"Yeah. Is that good or bad?"

She motioned him in. "I don't know. I'll have to take a look at it."

He sat down on a metal examination table and held his hand out for her. She immediately blinked.

"There's already tissues forming around here."

"Tell me about it."

She let out a breath and shook her head. "I've…never seen anything like it. That's incredible."

"Incredible? It's fucking inhuman, remember?"

Kate ignored him and moved to her bench, grabbing a small transparent ruler. She held it up to his wrist and jotted something down on a clipboard.

"It's not quite a centimeter…but it's progress, nonetheless. I'll bandage you up, but I want you to stay down here until it's fully healed."

He stared at her. "What?"

"That's regenerating much faster than I expected, which is good news…but if it continues to bleed like that, you can't go walking around topside. I'm restricting you to one of the rooms down here. I would say that to any of my patients that were bleeding this heavily."

This was beginning to feel more and more like prison each day. He gritted his teeth and was about to argue back, but decided against it. What good would that fucking do? He wasn't about to get pissed off at a pregnant woman. But still…

"Why wouldn't you let Blair down here?"

Kate blinked at him. "What?"

"Why wouldn't you let Blair see me? You let Reese and Star come down here."

Kate turned to grab some gauze and worked on his wrist, avoiding eye contact. "Blair had duties above ground that she needed to see to - "

"Bullshit."

Kate immediately released his wrist and glared at him, fed up. "My orders are none of your concern and I would ask you to drop the matter, _soldier_. You seem to forget that I'm a commanding officer, which makes me your superior. If you speak to me like that again, I'll have you removed from this room without treatment where you can go bleed by yourself, do you understand?"

He blinked at her, taken aback. _Well, god damn._

There was a long pause as she continued to work on his wrist. When she finished up and tied a neat little knot, she put the gauze away and said, "It's just as well that you're here. I've taken a look at some of your results."

Marcus involuntarily swallowed. "So…?"

"When…when you were first brought to us, I was only able to perform a simplistic scan of your body – like a crude X-ray. From there I could determine that you had a heart and a brain, but honestly, I didn't even bother to look at the rest of your body structure after finding out about your endoskeleton." Kate cleared her throat, looking apologetic. "Which is why I ran more tests on you these previous two weeks…and performed more thorough scans with the equipment we had available here." She paused and folded her hands. "As you know, your brain is fused to a type of biocomputer and works together as a complex, biomechanical nervous system. However, it won't work unless you have blood flow – same goes to all your tissues and muscles surrounding your endoskeleton – so that's why your heart is required to pump blood throughout your body to provide nutrients and oxygen to your major organs and tissues."

"Oxygen? So I have lungs?" Marcus asked.

"Yes," Kate replied with a nod. "Your metal endoskeleton encases a heart and a pair of lungs."

"And if I need nutrients, do I have a stomach?" he asked. For some reason, he felt like a complete idiot asking these questions.

Kate shook her head, looking grim. "From what I've seen, I don't believe you have a stomach."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Then how do I eat?"

"Have you ever had hunger pangs? Have you felt the urge to eat or drink?"

He blinked. In the terrible weeks he'd been there, he hadn't been hungry. Not once. At first, he thought it was just because of all the stress and fucked up shit he'd gone through that there simply wasn't time to eat…but it was becoming more obvious that if he hadn't eaten by now, something was amiss.

"No," he shook his head. "I haven't. But…then…how…?" He couldn't conjure a question. This was too fucked up. Then a thought occurred to him and he glanced at Kate with a worried look. "I don't plug into anything, do I?"

He was expecting her to laugh, but instead she shook her head somberly. "No. You don't."

He let out a sigh of relief. It was good to know he'd be able to maintain a fraction of his humanity, no matter how small it was. Plugging into an outlet like a goddamn computer would have been too much for him to handle.

"I have a theory," Kate offered. "When Skynet built you, it included all the essential organs a human would have, but excluded the organs it must've deemed unnecessary. If you think about it, the heart and nervous system require chemical reactions and electrical signals to function, which apparently is not beyond Skynet's capabilities to reproduce. Thus, I'm guessing you also have a functional endocrine system so your human brain can properly interpret messages sent throughout the body - "

"Whoa," Marcus held up his hands and shook his head. "English, professor."

Kate crossed her arms. "Organs required for the production of hormones and signals for molecular communication are most likely within your body – your adrenal gland, your thyroid gland, even your reproductive organs could be present. Other digestive organs, like the intestines, were not supplied because there are other means to absorb nutrients besides ingestion."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you were fed intravenously before you awoke."

Marcus glared at the ground and crossed his arms. "Great. I have to be fed through tubes."

_I died by the tube, and now I have to live by the tube, _he mused darkly. _God really does have a sick, twisted sense of humor._

"Can you urinate?"

Marcus glanced at her, feeling uncomfortable. "…Yeah."

"It would make sense, then, since you have to have a way to expel wastes from your cells," Kate said, talking more to herself than to Marcus, "so you must have a bladder…probably kidneys and liver…but I can't be sure…"

Marcus rubbed his head and sighed. "Will I have to shoot up every day, then? Do you have needles and IV's and all that shit available?"

Kate paused to think. "Are you feeling run-down? Fatigued?"

He shrugged. "Not really."

"Then you probably won't have to every day. Let's wait for a few more days…and then I can try to come up with something that has the proper nutrient ratio…"

Marcus shook his head. "That can't be right. I can swallow. I have spit. So where does it all go?"

"You might have half of an esophagus, which is a tube connected to the trachea. It's possible that your saliva simply coats your mouth and throat to keep it from drying out, not from actually digesting food."

"What if I just try to eat something?"

Kate shook her head. "You can try, but it will probably just come back up…or you might choke."

Marcus rubbed his face with his good hand.

"A few other organs and tissues required for regular human survival – spleen, gall bladder, the lymphatic system – are also missing," Kate continued softly. "You have no bone marrow, so you don't have an immune system – but your blood and tissues are drastically different, genetically and molecularly, so I'm assuming you'll probably never get sick. You heal at a faster rate, your reflexes are quicker, and your strength is tripled than that of an average man. I can't tell you what components are actually found within your blood and tissues, such as hormones or a complement system, or what type of metabolism you have, if any, because I honestly don't know. I'm guessing that you do since your heartbeat can rise due to adrenaline and brain stimulation via hormones, and your cells have to metabolize nutrients somehow…but I can't confirm that for sure. I don't have the instruments to perform those types of tests - "

"That's fine," he grumbled. "I'm not sure I really want to know. It's not something that's really important at a time like this, anyway, but…" he trailed off and shrugged. "…I just wanted to find out the basic stuff…"

"I understand."

He headed towards the door and paused. "Can I go?"

She hesitated and looked down. "Marcus…there's more."

He remained at the closed door but didn't turn around.

"Because of your intricate endoskeleton…and…especially the way it was built inside you…and how your nervous system is put together, uh…" she trailed off and tried to think of how to explain, "…and how your tissues heal at a swift rate…your blood type is genetically different…" she licked her lips and shook her head. "The entire procedure would have been impossible, from a surgical standpoint, without completely damaging a human body – removing all your bones and replacing them with metal - "

"You're saying I'm a clone," his voice was low and quiet.

Kate nodded. "Except for your brain, which is obviously why you still have your memories, and your heart. But both have been significantly modified to accommodate the chip interface, as well as the rest of your genetic makeup."

"_I'm guilty. Just cut me up until there's nothin' left."_

…_Guess they really did._

He lowered his head and stared at the ground. Although the information was sickeningly disturbing, he wasn't surprised, really. Somehow, he already knew. In fact, it was ludicrous to think that his original body had been kept in an ice box full of formaldehyde all throughout Judgment Day and fifteen plus years without decaying. What Kate was also trying to tell him was that it was impossible to replace his insides without completely tearing up his outsides – and besides, all of the blood and tissues were genetically engineered.

"The body is technically still your own, genetically. Your tissues were probably generated from your body's stem cells, which is why you've retained all your original features," Kate offered. "But…the body you had then…is not the body you have today."

She saw his jaw muscles flex, but he nodded slowly.

"The devil's hands have indeed been busy," he replied in a low voice, repeating what John had said only a few weeks prior.

Kate looked down at the ground. "I…truly am sorry, Marcus."

He glanced at her. "Why? Don't believe I'm a machine anymore?"

She looked up at him, giving him a sympathetic look for the first time. "From what I've seen…no. I don't. What Skynet did to you was unspeakable, and horrible..."

He turned and opened the door. "It's nothing I don't deserve."

_**. . .**_

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. All I need is a comm system by my side and someone to patch me through to MX-53 - "

"You can't do that, John. Not yet. It's only been three weeks. Moving you was risky enough."

"We're running out of time, Kate - "

"I realize that, and Barnes is doing what he can with the rest of the team," Kate interrupted him. "I know exactly what is at stake here, and my first priority is keeping you alive. Remember that, John."

He let out a defeated sigh. "Has Barnes made contact with MX-53?"

"He's attempting to reach every resistance pocket within a 100-mile radius."

"Good." He glanced at a clipboard she was holding. "What's that?"

"The results from Marcus's scan. You're going to want to hear this."

John immediately looked grim. "What is it?"

"He's retained most of the qualities that construct a human body," Kate replied. "The only major differences are obviously his endoskeleton and biomechanical nervous system. I believe Skynet tried to make a hybrid by integrating genetic engineering technology and gradually removing essential organs required for normal human survival."

"Essential organs?" John raised a brow.

"…a few of his organs have been removed, or weren't developed, over the course of the development of his synthetic body," Kate explained. "He has no immune system. His digestive system is gone, but he can't survive without food to supply the muscles and tissues with nutrients."

"How will he eat?"

"Skynet must've hooked him up to an IV."

"So we'll have to do the same."

"Eventually. I'm assuming it'll be the same cocktail we use for dehydrated patients…or some advanced form of saline drip…I guess it'll take some trial and error."

John rubbed his eyes and sighed. "You're telling me…he's not human."

Kate swallowed and shook her head. "Yes and no. At least…not human by normal standards."

"I'm not sure I understand, Kate."

"Think of him as a test tube baby. He wasn't _born_. Instead, the body was generated from Marcus's stem cells…but the stem cells have been tampered with. He's genetically engineered. It's why his tissues are stronger and heal at a faster rate. His stem cells, his brain, and his heart…appear to be what was left of him. That's why he has no recollection of the war. That's why his physical appearance doesn't match his age. He must have died before Judgment Day…and his heart and brain must have been harvested somehow."

"My God," John breathed. "You can't be serious."

"I've looked at the data over and over again, John. I can barely believe it myself."

"Are you telling me that Skynet had access to human organs for the past fifteen years?"

Kate remained silent.

"And not just organs…but…Jesus…" he trailed off and shook his head. "Stem cells? Blood banks? The human genome?"

"Cyberdine Systems had obtained a massive biotechnological grant from the Department of Defense before the collaboration with NIH and the CDC," Kate reminded him. "That was when biostatistics, biophysics, and computer systems biology really started booming. It would make sense that Skynet had access to thousands upon thousands of health records…not to mention biological research data. As to how many samples it had after the attack…I can only speculate. It's possible that dozens of experiments failed. That's what the human prisoners were for. That's how they're able to make the T-800 tissues."

"But why him? Why Marcus?"

Kate didn't have an answer.

John closed his eyes and sighed. He thought about human fetuses in a test tube in a Skynet laboratory. Growing into children. Growing into monsters. "God…I hope he's the only one."

There was an agonizing pause. John sighed again and glanced up at Kate. "You said that he still has his original memories?"

Kate nodded.

"How do you know? How do you know they're not programmed?"

"I wish I knew more about the biochemistry of the brain, but I do know that memories are housed in special sections of the brain…and they can be scattered at random, unlike a computer's hard-disk drive, which consolidates memory into one unified structure. I definitely would have seen that in my scan. In addition, the mechanical cortex doesn't reach that extensively into the brain…it only covers part of the cerebellum and most likely the hypothalamus."

"Wait…where?"

Kate pointed to the back of her head. "Here, at the base of the skull…and here, where the spinal cord meets the brain."

"So what do those portions of the brain control…? And how much of it has been occupied by…mechanical wires?"

"The cerebellum controls coordination…accuracy…and other motor skills, which is probably why he's got incredibly fast reflexes. On the other hand, the cerebellum also controls emotion, so a fraction of that is still...relatively human. The hypothalamus is much more complicated and pretty much controls everything else that happens in the body – metabolically, emotionally, hormonally, you name it. It's also connected to the spinal cord…and…well…I really have absolutely no idea how much of that is mechanical, since it's surrounded by metal vertebrae."

John grit his teeth, disturbed by the news. "But his tissues are still derived from human stem cells?"

"Yes. Just…more advanced."

"And you're _sure_ that his brain is human?"

"Yes, John, I'm sure. When Marcus ripped his chip out, he damaged some of the hardware connected to the cerebellum, but the scan shows that over 85% of his brain is living human tissue."

"And Skynet _grew_ him?"

Kate swallowed and gave John a small nod. "Using the metal endoskeleton as a scaffold."

He stared at a spot on the wall in thought. Marcus wasn't human. Not…naturally, in any case. He wasn't exactly a machine, either. His eyes darted to Kate.

"Does he know?"

"I told him this morning."

"How did he take the news?"

"I…haven't seen him since. Barnes is watching him. But…when I told him, he wasn't happy."

There was an extensive pause as John brooded in silence. Kate shifted her feet and slowly sat down in a nearby chair, holding her belly.

John let out a heavy sigh. "I don't think I can kill him, Kate."

Kate furrowed her brow at this. There was a pause before she asked, "What do you mean?"

"The fact that he's not even human should say it all. He shouldn't be with us. He shouldn't be _alive_. He's everything we're fighting against. Hell, we might be doing him a _favor_ by killing him."

Kate remained silent.

John slowly shook his head and stared at the table. "But…after what he's done…I don't know anymore…"

The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that it was highly unlikely Marcus was a terminator. John had seen the T-800 model 101 up close. It was a bona fide machine. It spoke in monotone, displayed no emotion whatsoever, had no qualms about killing, and always said "affirmative," or "negative," or "this decision is not logical."

Marcus didn't speak like that, nor did he even act remotely like the T-800. What was strange was that the T-800 model 101 was only recently made as a final product. So…in comparison to Marcus, it was almost a downgrade.

John narrowed his eyes in thought.

_It was a downgrade._

Marcus was a hell of a lot more advanced, at least in terms of human qualities, and he could easily infiltrate any resistance faction with that guise…but he was faulty. Skynet deemed him a threat and targeted him for termination.

Marcus was not the final product because he ultimately rejected Skynet. He was still, in essence, a human.

…_What makes us human?_

"John," Kate's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "If I may say so…he's not like the others."

She was referring to the other terminators they'd both encountered over the course of their lives. He nodded. "I know."

"Barnes and a few of the others might not trust him, but…" she trailed off.

John glanced up at her. "Do you?"

She nodded. "He saved Kyle. He saved you. I trust him."

John didn't reply. He looked down and brooded silently.

"From a medical standpoint, he's more man than machine," she reminded him softly. "Besides, I think that Marcus has valuable information on Skynet. He might cooperate with us. He can help us. He's the only one that's capable of fighting a T-800 in hand-to-hand combat."

John glanced at her. "You mean for future captures."

She nodded somberly.

He sat back and rubbed his chin. "You're right. That…would make things a hell of a lot easier. We only have a limited amount of time to find those blueprints. Sweeping the San Francisco hub didn't do any good. There's nothing but dust. We'll have to clean out another Skynet base and keep looking."

"John…we need Marcus. He can help us. It's possible he still has plenty of Skynet data stored within his mechanical cortex. I just don't think he can mentally access it – he probably doesn't even know how – so we'll have to figure out how to do it manually."

John glanced up at her. "Did you tell him about that?"

Kate shook her head. "I…think he's had enough for one day. I didn't want to overdo it by mentioning a synaptic scan."

"Still…we need to get that going if we're going to pull any information out of him. I guess we should start with the traditional way first."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Bring him in here for questioning."

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**For some, it might be obvious that Marcus was a clone, but I personally don't think that it was clear enough in the movie so I just wanted to elaborate. Plus, systems biology (a multi-disciplinary field mixing computer programming, engineering, and molecular biology) is real, and it is _booming _right now. Available at any major university, including places like MIT. These people are _smart _- it's pretty crazy what they can do.


	4. Life

_**August 1995  
**__**Tucson, AZ**_

"_Is something wrong?" she said  
__Of course there is  
_"_You're still alive," she said  
__Oh, and do I deserve to be?  
__Is that the question?  
__And if so…if so…who answers? Who answers?_

"This song is depressing, homes," a dark-skinned Hispanic complained from under the car hood. Marcus, who was busy rummaging through a tool box, glanced back at him and grinned.

"It's Pearl Jam. You don't like them?"

"I know who the band is. I just don't understand this white-boy music. S'just always some dude complainin' about his childhood and shit…how his mom was a hooker or somethin'…"

"Yeah? Sounds a lot like you."

"Fuck you."

Marcus chuckled and wiped his hands with a dirty rag. "You almost done with that?"

"Just givin' her the final touch, esé. After that, she should be ready to go, just like my women…lubed up and purring like a kitten."

Marcus laughed and tossed the rag aside as the phone rang. "Aw, shit. Speaking of…there's your mom now. I'll tell her I'm busy."

Carlos glanced up and pointed at him. "Don't disrespect my mama like that, homes!" He motioned to the camaro they were working on. "I just might take this piece here with me and tell the crew you punked out. Y'know…Mexican karma and all that shit."

Marcus held up his hands in defeat as he walked towards the phone, flashing Carlos a grin. "You know I'm just fucking with you."

Marcus and Carlos worked in a shitty, tiny car repair shop just on the outskirts of Tucson. The jobs were usually on low-grade clunkers because the people couldn't afford going anywhere else, let alone drive anything else, but the man in charge, Fat Jack, didn't seem to care. Fat Jack, of course, was a name that Carlos used when he was gone or when he was locked in his office eating pastries. The guy's real name was Peter, but it might as well have not mattered since Carlos and Marcus were the ones responsible for the customers, the inventory, and the car repairs. There was one thing that Fat Jack did really well, however. He never asked any questions.

Carlos was most likely an illegal alien, and Marcus was most likely some sort of crook. For all Fat Jack knew, the two of them pulled jobs together. But as long as the customers were happy and they were pulling in some money, he didn't care.

The mechanic work, of course, was simply an alibi for Marcus. San Diego became risky for several reasons; the city was growing, competition was increasing, younger crooks were getting stupid, and the cops had started to sniff around. Since he didn't have any ties to San Diego, Marcus decided to move to Tucson where he could remain close to the border and continue his business. He would boost rides, remove the license plates, scrape off VIN numbers, re-program the engine codes, and essentially give the entire car a makeover. By the time he sold it across the border, it was completely unrecognizable and untraceable. Carlos happened to be someone he knew through his clients, and since he was trying to make money to begin a lifestyle and move his family across the border, he offered to help Marcus with the paint jobs and mechanic work. Today was another fixer-upper for a recent job he pulled…unbeknownst to Fat Jack, of course.

Marcus picked up the phone on the third ring.

"Pete's body shop."

There was dead air on the other end.

"Hello?"

"…_Marcus?"_

Marcus immediately stiffened. "Scott?"

"…_Hey. How are ya?"_

Marcus glanced up at Carlos, but he was still working from under the hood. Marcus turned his back and hissed, "How did you get this number?"

"_What's going on, man? I haven't talked to you in - "_

"How did you find me?" Marcus interrupted.

There was a nervous chuckle on the other end. _"C'mon, man. It's been almost two years. I just…I wanted to talk…and I heard you left San Diego…"_

"Yeah? Heard from whom?"

"_Marcus…c'mon…"_

He had no idea where Scott had gone two years ago. He'd heard from a few of their old clients that Scott was talking about Texas, but that was about it. How Scott even managed to find him in this remote area was damn near impossible, and he made sure that his whereabouts were discreet enough across the border.

Did Scott still have connections down there?

"What the fuck do you want? How did you know I was here, Scott?"

"_Marcus…don't be like that, man…I know people, that's all…"_

"Know people, huh? You mean like the same type of people I didn't want to fucking have _anything_ to do with - "

"_Sheila's pregnant, Marc."_

Marcus blinked and glanced over at Carlos, who had looked up at the slight commotion.

"What?"

"_We just found out a couple months ago. I wanted to tell you."_

Marcus grit his teeth and turned around again, uttering in a low voice, "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

There was more nervous laughter on the other end. _"What? It's a good thing! We're gonna have a baby, man - "_

"I mean good for the _baby_," Marcus interrupted gruffly.

There was a long pause.

"_Oh…oh! Yeah! Yeah, I quit that shit straight up after Sheila told me. And she's been off of the blow, too. We're both done."_

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "You swear?"

"_Fuck yeah, I swear. We're totally off it. Sheila quit smokin' and drinkin', too."_

Marcus looked down. "Hm."

"_I promise, Marc. We're turnin' a new leaf."_

"Believe it when I see it," Marcus grumbled.

"_I…well…that's why I called. I was sort of hoping you could come over sometime…help with the baby…"_

Marcus let out a sigh and remained silent.

"_I mean…not right away if you don't want to…but we'd like to have ya…"_

He stole a glance at the car. Carlos was wiping his hands, watching Marcus.

"Where are you?"

"_Del Rio…Texas."_

"Texas."

"_Yeah."_

Marcus lowered his head and let out another sigh. "I don't know, Scott…"

"_Look…Marc…"_

There was a pause and a deep sigh on the other end.

"_I know…we both said and did some shit…but…that's all in the past, man."_

Marcus set his jaw.

"_I just…I don't know. I'd like to see my big brother once in awhile, ya know? You're the only family I've got left, man."_

"You've got Sheila and the baby now."

"_Yeah, but…it wouldn't be the same without you, ya know? It's just…"_

Another pause.

"_I'm happy, Marc. Like…finally happy…but you're not here. It's like there's still a piece missing."_

Marcus swallowed and remained silent.

"_It'd just be nice to see you, is all."_

"I can't just up and leave my shit to go to Texas," Marcus shook his head. "I've got stuff to do here."

"_I'm not saying move in with us or anything. Just…come on out for a couple weeks. You can spare a couple weeks, can't you? You, uh…still make your own hours, don't you?"_

He meant the thievery.

"Yeah."

"_Well, then…just think about it, okay? That's all I ask. Our door is always open for you, man. You know where to find me."_

_**. . .**_

Marcus blinked, trying to adjust his vision, but it was no use. Everything was grey; grey metal highlighted by a dingy grey light that sometimes buzzed and blinked like a strobe light, threatening to burn out once and for all. It even _smelled_ grey in here. Marcus closed his eyes again. It was almost as if the room was sucking the life out of him. He couldn't see straight, and he had no desire to get up.

Prison.

He was back in prison.

Although…he wasn't sure which situation was worse. Sitting around, waiting to die on death row…or sitting around as a mechanical clone of yourself, knowing you already died. The only things left of him, really…were his memories.

It figured.

His hand was healing fast. After five days, nearly all of the skin had covered the metal bones. Only the tips of his fingers were slightly raw and bloody; metal could still be seen if the light hit it a certain way, but it oozed with fresh tissue growing around it and he no longer needed bandages.

He'd sat in the metal room as per Kate's instructions, but it was only lightly guarded. If he really wanted to, he could come and go as he pleased, but the more he thought about it, there wasn't much of a reason to go anywhere.

Well…there was a reason named Blair…but…

Marcus closed his eyes and sighed. He was sitting up on the metal cot, leaning against the cold concrete wall, with a knee raised and an elbow resting on it. He rested his forehead against the back of his wrist, not wanting to smear blood across his face – like he'd done accidentally nearly all week. It was almost impossible to consciously _not_ use your hands.

He didn't want to see Blair, or Reese, or the squirt. He didn't feel like explaining to them…what he really was…

They know what he _is_…but if he explained to them how he came to be…then…he'd have to reveal what he really _was_…

Christ. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced he'd be stuck in this prison forever.

Kate had stopped in to check on him several times, but he never asked any other questions. He let her check his wounds, she asked if he was feeling all right – fatigued, hungry, dizzy, lethargic – and he'd replied "only a little," then she would leave again. She hadn't mentioned Blair, and he hadn't asked.

The fatigue had crept up on him, though. He could no longer tell if the blinking, buzzing grey light was driving him slowly mad, or if the grey room was fucking with his vision, or if he really couldn't see well. He blinked again, decided to give up, and closed his eyes, wanting to just drift to sleep.

He didn't know when Kate had come in the room, or if she had come in several times to check on him. He didn't even know what day it was, or what _time_ of day it was. But she was suddenly there, out of nowhere, leaning close, a look of concern written on her face.

"Marcus?"

He didn't respond.

Kate stepped forward, examining him closer. "Marcus, are you all right?"

He rolled his head in her direction, blinked slowly, and remained still.

Kate dug around in her lab coat and pulled out a handheld light. She walked up to him, clicked it on, and gently pulled one of his eyelids open, checking for pupil dilation. Frowning, her hand moved to his mouth and she cupped his chin.

"Can you open your mouth for me?"

He responded groggily, only keeping his mouth slightly ajar.

She narrowed her eyes and examined the inside of his mouth briefly with the light, then clicked it off. Turning abruptly, she simply stated, "I'll be right back," and left the room.

Was she gone for hours, or minutes?

He blinked. Everything was still grey, but now it was blurry. The light still bz-bz-bz-bz-bzzed away, gnawing at him, annoying the fuck out of him, but he was too tired to get up. The door opened and closed again, but this time a silhouette with dark brown hair was looking at him.

"Marcus."

He lifted his head up only slightly, glancing at her.

_Blair._

She noticed his expression and his posture, and her brows furrowed. "What are you still doing in here? Is everything all right?"

He remained silent, blinked slowly, and turned his gaze back towards the wall, staring at nothing in particular.

"What is it? What's wrong? What did Kate tell you?"

_I don't want you to know…what I am…_

Blair stepped forward and cupped his cheek in her hands. "What are they doing to you?"

He simply blinked at her, his expression blank.

Once the metal door opened, Blair rounded on Kate before she could even enter the room.

"Have you been keeping him down here all this time?"

Kate cast Blair an annoyed look as she carried an armful of supplies through the door and placed them on the countertop. She grabbed a bag full of liquid and attached a tube to it. "God, Blair, what are you doing here?"

"What's wrong with him?"

Kate worked quickly, attaching the bag to a hook sticking out of the wall and pulling a capped needle out of her pocket. "He's going through something similar to hypoglycemia. He needs water. Nutrients. I've only just now been able to come up with the right solution to give him - "

"What are you talking about?"

Kate swabbed the top of Marcus's uninjured hand with gauze soaked in alcohol, even though she knew it was probably unnecessary. She pushed the thought out of her mind, knowing that it would be easier to run through the procedure if she treated him as a human. She fumbled around in her kit for a sterile needle. "He hasn't had anything to eat for over two weeks."

"Then feed him!"

Kate glanced at her and uncapped the needle. "That's what I'm doing."

Blair's jaw dropped slightly as she watched in horror as Kate attached the needle to a tube leading up to the bag, gently tapped the top of Marcus's hand with a thumb to find a vein, slipped in the needle in the direction of the blood flow, taped it down, and monitored the drip by adjusting a small valve attached to the tube.

"He needs an IV?" Blair's voice was almost a whisper.

"For now. It's the only way he'll be able to nourish his body. Luckily, we'll only have to do this once every month or so - "

"He…he can't eat?"

Kate watched Blair closely. "He doesn't have a digestive system."

Blair's expression slowly turned from angry shock into pained sadness as she glanced back at Marcus. He was still leaning back, head turned away and eyes half-lidded, not meeting her gaze.

"You need to wait outside," Kate instructed rigidly. "I'll finish up here and make sure he's stable, then I'll come and speak with you."

Blair took a few reluctant steps backwards, still watching Marcus, then cast Kate an angry look before leaving the room.

Kate sighed and glanced at Marcus. "Marcus, nod if you can hear me."

He closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"I'll be back in a few minutes…just stay there and rest. Don't move."

His jaw muscles worked, but didn't offer a response.

Kate checked the saline drip and left the room, closing the door behind her. Blair was immediately at her side.

"Why wasn't I told, Kate?" Blair snapped. "Why wasn't I allowed to see him? Hell, after everything he's been through, and after what I did to get him here - "

"After what _you_ did, you're lucky John decided to keep you in combat," Kate interrupted sternly. "That was a hell of a stunt you pulled, Blair. If he'd relayed any information to Skynet - "

"He _didn't_. He doesn't _belong_ to Skynet."

"Be realistic, Blair. He was built by them. He's half machine. We had to make sure - "

"He's not a _machine_," Blair snapped, exasperated. "God, why don't any of you see it? That's what I don't understand! Didn't you _see_ him when he was chained up? Jesus, _no_ Skynet product could put on a show like that!"

"Which is why John has decided to let him fight, and that's why he was also lenient with you," Kate crossed her arms. "We're convinced, Blair, so you can stop worrying. I had to run tests on Marcus so we would know exactly what to do here. I've already told you that we've discovered that he's missing parts of the human anatomy, so I had to figure out what exactly he needed in order to sustain his body - "

Kate stopped short and put a hand to her belly. Blair immediately regretted every angry word she said and stepped forward.

"Kate, are you okay? God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you so worked up - "

"It's fine," Kate breathed. "That's normal. We're just…getting closer, that's all."

"You shouldn't be on your feet right now. You need rest."

"I can't. Not with John being in the condition he's in."

"You should've asked for my help weeks ago. What can I do around here? There has to be something I can do for you."

Kate looked up at her. "You can sit with Marcus. Just keep him company while the solution does its job. He's probably sleeping now, but I think he needs you."

Blair was surprised at this response. "What's wrong with him, Kate? What aren't you telling me?"

Kate sighed. "You once told John that the reason you let Marcus go was because you saw a man, not a machine."

"Yes."

"And you still believe that?"

"Of course!"

"Then that's all that matters. Marcus will tell you the rest when he's ready."

**_. . ._**

Marcus groggily blinked his eyes open only to be greeted by the annoying blinking light, but something was different. There was warmth next to him, and an arm was wrapped around his. Fingers were intertwined with his newly healed ones. He glanced over to see a head of brown hair leaning against his shoulder.

She sensed his movement and looked up at him. "Hey."

He blinked, still feeling woozy. "Hey." His voice was thick. It felt as if there was cotton in his mouth.

She pursed her lips in thought, as if she had a million things to say to him, but only squeezed his hand slightly and said, "I'm here, Marcus."

He blinked at her again and relaxed against the wall, suddenly feeling relieved for the first time in weeks. He was trapped in a grey room with nothing but haunting memories and a needle stuck in his vein, just like before. But this time, it was the opposite. This time, Blair was with him, and he wasn't dying. He would live. He would fight.

He squeezed her hand in response.

**. . .**

A few hours later, Kate came back to check on Marcus's condition and politely asked Blair to go help Barnes in the hangar. Blair nodded, slid off the metal cot, and gave Marcus's hands a squeeze.

"I'll be outside if you need me."

Once she left, Kate checked the saline drip, used her handheld light to examine his pupil dilation, checked his pulse, examined his mouth, and made him stare at her finger as she moved it back and forth.

"Are you feeling better?"

Marcus nodded and flexed his wrist after she slid the needle out. Everything seemed clearer. The room had more color to it, if that was possible. He didn't feel as stiff or sore. He felt stronger…more alert…rejuvenated.

"…Yeah. I am. That was one hell of an elixir, doc. What was in it?"

"A combination of amino acids, glucose, vitamins, and fats, all mixed in with saline," Kate replied. "I have several different solutions I want to try, but I'm glad to know that this first one was a success."

"Then why try different ones?"

"I could be wrong, but your tissues may need a complex array of organic materials, just like humans would require," Kate said. "Sterols, metals, electrolytes, you name it. It's possible you won't need all that, but I just wanted to be sure."

Marcus blinked. "Katorade?"

For the first time, Kate cracked a tiny smile at him. "Was that a joke, Marcus?"

"It's the best I could come up with."

"This first solution may have worked, but it may not be strong enough. If you feel weak or tired, let me know."

He nodded.

"I think you've been in here long enough," Kate noted, nodding towards his hand, which was now fully healed. "It's time you come and speak with John."

**. . .**

Kate led Marcus through the underground bunker, down a hallway to a larger room that seemed to serve as an office or interrogation room at one point, but it was just as bare and grey as the other one he was just in. John Connor was sitting at a table next to a metal rod with a saline bag hooked to it, the tubes trailing down to his arm and wrist. It was hard to determine whether or not the color had fully returned to his face; in a room like that, everyone looked the same. He had lost a significant amount of weight, but he still looked as hard and stern as ever.

"Marcus."

Marcus glared at him. "Connor."

"You can leave us, Kate," John gave her a nod. "We'll be all right."

Kate didn't seem to like that idea, but said nothing. With a sigh, she walked out of the room – but left the door cracked.

"I know you're on the mend, but since you don't have much to do around here besides sit and rest, maybe you can bring me up to speed on a few things," Marcus sat down across from him.

John raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Marcus held out his hands. "What the hell is going on here?"

John blinked, his expression remaining neutral. "I thought you would have figured it out by now."

"Not Judgment day. Not the war. You," Marcus clarified. "Who the hell _are_ you? How do you know so much about Skynet, and why is Skynet so hell-bent on killing you?"

John opened his mouth to reply, but Marcus continued.

"When I was strapped up there getting interrogated and shot at, you mentioned something about the machines trying to kill your mother. Then you said that Kyle Reese was your dead father." Marcus hiked a thumb over his shoulder angrily. "Kyle Reese is just a _kid_. He's sitting outside somewhere right _now_. Unless you mean a completely different person with the same name, mind telling me what the fuck all that's about?"

John continued to examine him, but a there was a flash of amusement in his eyes. "First, I want you to tell me what you learned at Skynet's headquarters. What exactly happened when you got there?"

Marcus worked his jaw muscles and sighed. His thoughts traveled to his trek to the north gate; to Skynet Headquarters in San Francisco. He had hoped that once he stepped into view…once the machines saw him…he'd be mowed down and it would be finished forever.

But the sentry had ignored him.

That's when he knew. The rotten, sour feeling in his gut that had been creeping up on him ever since he woke up, that _something just wasn't right_, and after he was captured and interrogated by John Connor…after he'd found out what he really was…he was still hoping that somehow it was just some sort of fucked up nightmare. That it would all end soon.

But it didn't. And then he _knew_. He knew he really wasn't human.

"I…didn't really know where to go. I just wandered around and found my way inside, into the main hub - "

"You weren't stopped?"

Marcus shook his head. "No. It's like you said…I was one of them."

John examined him silently.

"That's when I found this weird…office…I don't know…a room. A room with a computer."

"And that's how you led me to Kyle Reese?"

Marcus nodded. "I…I don't know how I did it…I didn't even hook up to it, I don't know - "

"A lot of Skynet's systems don't involve wires," John explained.

"Yeah, well, whatever it was, there was a fuckin' system overload or something, and I passed out."

"You mean they shut you down."

Marcus glared at him. "Whatever it was, I blacked out, and then I woke up all…_healed_…"

"When you were interacting with the Skynet mainframe, did you learn anything? Any information? Anything that could help us?"

Marcus swallowed, remembering the news articles he'd looked for…then…the flashes of nuclear bombs…the burning bodies, the disintegrated buildings…

**Murderer Donates Body to Science  
**_**Execution of Marcus Wright to Proceed**_

**Dallas** – _After what would seem one of the most controversial trials in the state of Texas, convicted murderer Marcus Wright has agreed to donate his body for scientific research. Wright, who is currently an inmate on death row at Longview State Correctional Facility, is scheduled to carry out his sentence by lethal injection in less than one month, and has consented to the donation through Cyberdyne Genetics, a biotechnological company that specializes in genetic research pertaining to terminal diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's._

_In 1995, Wright was convicted of the murder of two police officers, Alex Navarro and Samuel Mayer. A third man, identified as Wright's brother, Scott Wright, was also dead at the scene. The controversy stems from the fact that Navarro was off-duty at the time, and ballistics had proven that Scott Wright was killed by a bullet from Navarro's gun. The jury's ultimate decision generated widespread speculation around the case, which begs the question if Marcus Wright did indeed deserve the death penalty, and whether or not a formal investigation into Navarro's motives should take place. While family members of the two deceased police officers are satisfied with the sentence and claim that justice was served, members of the ACLU and other human rights organizations cry foul._

□□□searching…

□□□searching…

□□□searching…

**Serena Kogan Succumbs to Cancer**

**San Francisco** – _The scientific community all around the world mourns today for the tragic death of renowned scientist Dr. Serena Kogan, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer back in 1999. Known for her research in molecular genetics and triggering the controversy revolving around embryonic stem cell research, Dr. Kogan was one of the head scientists of Cyberdyne Genetics, a company that has since produced a wide array of technologies that help the medical community, such as skin and tissue grafting, blood transfusions, organ and bone marrow transplants, in vitro fertilization, and has made breakthroughs in slowing the progression of cancer and Alzheimer's disease._

□□□searching…

□□□searching…

□□□searching…

**Cyberdyne to Continue with Dr. Kogan's Cybernetic Research  
**_**Dr. Kogan's Cybernetic Research Moving Forward Under New Cyberdyne Direction**_

**AP** – _Dr. Serena Kogan's research, which helped propel Cyberdyne Genetics forward with dozens of therapeutic solutions and possible cures for the "uncurable" diseases, will continue under new direction, giving rise to speculation that the government is now playing a larger role for funding and research. One of the first transformations that immediately took place was the name of the company – Cyberdyne Genetics has now been changed to Cyberdyne Systems, an indication that scientists are now utilizing breakthrough methods of systems biology, computer programming used to identify potential therapeutic targets in biological systems, biophysics, biostatistics, and other methods combining molecular biology with other sciences. Using multiple approaches with multidisciplinary fields, experts state, will drive the research forward into new territory and allow scientists to discover a vast deal more than they ever could before. "It's what Serena Kogan would have wanted," the CEO explains. "As technology advances, so will our research. Now, more than ever, we are hard-pressed to find the answers to difficult questions, such as how to slow the progression of Alzheimer's, or how to stop leukemia in a small child without using a drop of harmful chemotherapy."_

_Some critics, however, say that the scientists are playing God and that the research has gone too far in the name of national defense. Furthermore, due to the government's increasing interest in the project, there are concerns about a possible merger between the military and Cyberdyne Systems. Dr. Timothy Cassel, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and an expert on biological agents, says that while the merger may be seen as a beneficial move for the military, it also has consequences since it puts major restraints on scientific research, which would not only be directed under the control of the government, but it would also be focused solely for military purposes, not the development of cures. "Dr. Kogan's ground breaking research in cellular regeneration is seen as a potential military application in healing soldiers wounded in combat, including biological and chemical attacks. In conjunction with the Skynet Missile Protection Software, the skin regeneration technology developed by Cyberdyne Systems is largely seen as another step taken by the USAF to bring technological automation to worldwide combat operations," he states._

□□□searching…

□□□searching…

□□□searching…

**Cyberdyne Systems Purchased by the U.S.A.F.  
**_**Dr. Kogan's Research Facility Folded Into The Armed Forces Branch Known For Skynet**_

**AP** – _In a move to further increase the defense department's role towards funding medical research and providing top medical attention to soldiers and civilians alike, the United States Federal Government has announced today that it has merged Cyberdyne Systems, originally founded by the late Dr. Serena Kogan, with Skynet, owned by the U.S. Air Force. The merger comes as no surprise, due to the fact that most of the research was funded by the government in hopes of improving medical technology coupled to combat and wartime situations presented in the field. The change, however, means that further research under the watch of the government will be behind closed doors, with the exception of a few publications it will allow in scientific journals. While the USAF is tight-lipped about the research specifics, Col. Anton Smith stated in a press conference that the military will "work continuously with top researchers in order to secure a brighter future for everyone – especially those who are terminally ill, those who have permanent disabilities, and those who have mental conditions such as Alzheimer's or autism." When asked about the possibility of the USAF, now backed by Skynet and Cyberdyne, will join forces with the Centers for Disease Control – an already government-controlled operation – in hopes to eradicate, if not combat, biological warfare and soldier susceptibility to foreign disease, the spokesman denied such allegations. "Of course we rely on the CDC and will work closely with the scientists, as we have for years, but at this time there is no intention of joining the companies or forming any partnerships that would end in profiteering off of the production of biological agents designed to harm human beings," Smith responded. "We are in the safety and defense business, not the war business."_

After reading the articles, he started to dig deeper, wanting to know once and for all what had happened that day. The information flew into his hybrid system faster than he could process it all. By 2004, Skynet had been fully integrated into the defense system, even internationally. It ultimately became self aware and immediately deemed humans a threat, targeting the major cities first and deploying fighter drones to sweep up. Human life was all but exterminated within a matter of minutes.

Marcus remembered the raw horror he felt as he watched the images of nuclear explosions…bodies burning…buildings disintegrating…

Marcus knew what had happened, but actually _seeing_ it happen for the first time definitely brought everything into perspective. Feelings of terror were eventually replaced by sheer hatred. Hatred for Serena Kogan. Hatred for Cyberdyne. Hatred for Skynet.

Then he had blacked out. Skynet must've measured his building emotions and shut him down. At least temporarily.

John Connor's voice brought him out of his reverie. "Were there blueprints? Schematics?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Blueprints?"

"New engineering developments? Weaponry, warcraft, anything of that sort?"

Marcus shook his head. "No. At least…not from what I've seen. Like I said, the deeper I started to dig, the more it fried my brain."

John sat back and sighed. "Seems like it didn't trust you with everything."

Marcus sneered. "Nope. Just being a gopher."

John stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Marcus looked away. "She…_it_…Skynet told me that I was unique. I was the only one."

"And you believe that?"

"I don't know. But…it said…my purpose was to lure you to headquarters. To expose the rest of the resistance. And I did."

John's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"On accident," Marcus added quickly. "I didn't know. I never knew. I just wanted to get back to find answers…to try to help…but Skynet said it was anticipating that move all along."

"So what did you do?"

"I ripped the chip out, then busted through a plate glass window and got the hell out of there. Skynet would've had the drop on you…so I tried to get to where Kyle Reese was kept as fast as I could."

John crossed his arms. "Hm. And Skynet…just let you go."

"I'm telling the _truth_," Marcus growled. "You saw that fuckin' thing beat me to a pulp. You zapped me back to life, for Christ's sakes - "

"I know you're telling the truth, Marcus," John interrupted him. "I know you tore most of your Skynet hardware out. Kate already explained to me what you are - "

"Yeah. A hack job," Marcus replied bitterly with his head down.

"What I want to know is how Skynet got you. You once mentioned that you were born in 1975," John said.

Marcus looked up at him. "I was."

"When did you die?"

Marcus blinked. "You actually believe this shit? Hell, even _I_ don't believe it."

"If you've been genetically engineered, then it had to have been after the nuke attacks. Skynet used your organs, which were obviously harvested post-mortem. Did you die after the blast, or before?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "You don't sugar-coat it, do you, Connor?"

"I acknowledge that you have most of the qualities of a human being, but I won't mask the fact that you were synthetically produced by the very thing trying to destroy humanity," John replied stiffly. "You are what you are. Come to terms with it. Lives are at stake and you need to start giving me information."

Marcus's jaws worked. "I died in 2003."

John stared at him. "2003."

Marcus stared back, unwavering. "That's what I said."

"That's a year before the attack."

"I know. Lucky me."

"How did you die?"

"By lethal injection."

John blinked.

Marcus crossed his arms. "I did time for murder."

John narrowed his eyes. "Murder? You were a criminal?"

Marcus set his jaw and looked down. "…Yeah."

John shook his head, trying to think. "This doesn't make any sense."

"I was arrested and convicted of murder in 1995 and was a death row inmate at a prison in Texas for over six years," Marcus explained. "Before the execution, I signed my body over to Cyberdyne Systems."

John's brows furrowed.

"After that, it was like I'd been sleeping. Like nothing ever happened. I woke up in the rain in the middle of nowhere – naked, cold, and in the worst pain I'd ever felt in my whole damn life. I had no idea what had happened, what year it was, or where I was. I got some clothes off of a dead man and started walking. That's when I met Reese and the girl."

John rubbed his face in frustration. "You're telling me that you _want_ to live – that we shouldn't destroy you, that you're really human and you want to prove yourself to the resistance – but you were a murderer? This isn't helping your case, Marcus."

Marcus held out his hands. "I've already been tried and convicted, Connor. They killed me once. Apparently it didn't do much good, since I'm still here. Might as well make the most of it."

"Convicted murderers and Skynet machines are all the same in my eyes," John glared at him menacingly. "They destroy human lives."

Marcus gave him a bitter grin. "I only kill bad guys."

"Is that so? Then why the death penalty? Must've been a lot of bad guys."

"Nope. Just two cops. The State of Texas didn't look too kindly upon that."

"Two cops?" John raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought you said you only kill bad guys."

Marcus shook his head. "It's…a long story. They were involved in…border issues."

"Were you?"

"No. But…my brother was." Marcus looked away and crossed his arms. "It was a fucked up situation that left three people dead. It shouldn't have happened, but it did. I'm not going to sit here and feed you bullshit about how sorry I am or rehabilitated I feel. Over twenty years have passed since that's happened. I think my debt to society's been paid."

There was another long pause, but John seemed to regard him with silent understanding. A cop in L.A. wasn't necessarily a decent one, and since John had been an L.A. resident running from the law himself, he knew how it used to be. The U.S. – Mexico border was always teeming with illegal activity, and John knew that Texas was a particular hotspot. Marcus didn't offer any details, but if he killed two cops, somehow John knew it had to involve an entanglement with drugs, guns, or even human trafficking. However, no matter how crooked the cop, a cop killer was still a cop killer and was subject to the full extent of the law.

He sat back and folded his hands. "Hm."

There was another long silence until he spoke again.

"You don't have a Texan accent."

Marcus glanced at him. "I was born in L.A."

"So you're a California native?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I never really stayed in one spot for long, though. My brother and I were passed around different foster homes in small, shit towns until we both ditched school and gave social services the middle finger at sixteen. We were in San Diego for awhile…then I went to Tucson. We eventually met up in Texas…" Marcus set his jaw and trailed off.

John waited for him to elaborate, but after a long silence, he decided to leave it alone. "Why was Cyberdyne so interested in you? They were based in San Francisco."

"The head loon there – Serena Kogan – wanted inmates on death row," Marcus explained. "This was for stem cell research, so of course it was controversial." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Not so controversial when murderers are used instead of fetuses. I'm sure she told herself she was doing such a _valiant_ and _noble_ thing by doing me a favor…giving me a second chance to _redeem_ myself," Marcus added in contempt. He shook his head and snorted. "What a crock of shit."

"There must've been plenty of people that had donated their bodies to science. Why you?"

Marcus shrugged. "Most that donated their bodies to science were old geezers. Others were alcoholics or smokers or whatever. Inmates are kept on a healthy regimen, usually. I wasn't a smoker. I was barely thirty. I was in good shape. I guess I was a good candidate for science."

John brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it, obviously bothered by the news. There was a long pause until John's eyes darted back to Marcus. "Kate explained to me that your tissues were generated from stem cells…but…you've managed to retain all your memories?"

Marcus nodded.

"Skynet couldn't have synthetically engineered human memories…" John trailed off, thinking to himself. "…at least…I don't think it can…"

"I'm not a fake, if that's what you're getting at," Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Kate said that I still had my own brain - "

"A brain with a hybrid biomechanical nervous system and chip interface," John interrupted curtly.

Marcus didn't reply. His thoughts traveled to his discussion with the Skynet mainframe. He didn't even know he'd been manipulated to lure Connor to headquarters…he didn't even know he was a machine…were there other things he didn't know?

Was it possible? Were his memories synthetic, just like his body? Was he simply…Skynet's puppet?

…Did he even exist at all? Was his life…his brother…his parents…his thievery…his murdering past…was any of it real?

He thought about what Kyle had said.

_Conscience. Humans are given that gift. Not machines._

He might have never listened to his conscience back in the day, but he sure as hell knew he had one.

"It can't be," Marcus shook his head. "I had a life. It might have been a shitty life, but I remember it. Skynet couldn't have programmed that shit into me. Machines don't know how humans think. They don't know how we experience emotion." He glared at John. "I don't care what you say. I can _feel_ things. I've felt pain. I've felt remorse. I've felt anger. Even…" Marcus trailed off and looked down.

John watched him. "Even what?"

Marcus thought about his mom. Then he thought about Sheila's full belly. John's wife, Kate.

_Even love._

"I loved that kid even before I knew him," Marcus said quietly, more to himself than to John.

John blinked. "What?"

"My brother's baby. I knew it was a boy, because…well…I don't know," Marcus shrugged. "I guess I just had a feeling. I didn't exactly get along with my brother, and I couldn't stand his dumbass girlfriend, but…" he trailed off and shrugged again. "It was like the baby was their last avenue out. I had hoped…that if there was a baby in the picture, those two would…" he trailed off again and stared at the table. "I don't know what I thought. It would have been nice, though…to have a real family, I suppose. I guess…I was looking forward to being an uncle." He shook his head and chuckled. "Me…an uncle. Look at me. I never had any experience with kids. I probably shouldn't be anywhere _near_ children…but for some reason, I was really looking forward to seeing the baby."

John remained silent.

Marcus glared up at him and set his jaw, his eyes glossy. "Skynet can't program machines to value human life, can it?"

John stared at him and rubbed his chin.

Silence filled the room. There was an extremely long pause.

"_I know now why you cry. But that is something I can never do."_

After a long while, he finally replied, "No. I suppose not."

Nobody spoke. Another long period of silence followed. Eventually, John cleared his throat. "We'll have to prepare for the task ahead…now that Skynet's starting to manufacture their new infiltration models, we need to be ready. It won't be long until they start the hunt again."

"I don't get it," Marcus said. "If _I_ was made for infiltration – which damn near worked – why doesn't Skynet just make more like me?"

John sat back and thought about the question. After a pause, he simply replied, "Because Skynet underestimated the gift of human conscience. We all have a choice. You made your choice by tearing out that chip and turning against the machines. I don't think Skynet will make the same mistake twice. Besides, I think you were an intermediate model. Like a prototype. The machines are obviously trying to duplicate our biology so they can disguise themselves under living human tissue. That's what all the human prisoners were for – we've been anticipating this for a while – but we weren't expecting Skynet to produce an actual human hybrid." He sighed. "I just hope to hell you're the only one."

"Those Terminator models I saw back at Skynet – were those some of their finished copies?"

John nodded grimly. "It's called a T-800 model 101. There will be more like it. They've combined the cloning technology that was researched by Cyberdyne to generate living human tissues that are self-sustaining over a metal endoskeleton."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Self-sustaining?"

"These tissues have all the human qualities – skin, sweat, blood, hair – but they don't require nutrients, oxygen, or anything else. Organs aren't required. In a sense, the tissues remain 'alive.'"

"Will they all look alike?"

"Some will," John admitted, "but other copies will emerge that we won't recognize. There's only one profile that I know of, but Skynet will continue to evolve. It always does."

A look of disgust crossed Marcus's face. To think that the human tissues Skynet was using were once from ordinary men…that their stem cells were, in essence, used to bring down the entire human race…

_Somehow, I don't think this is what Serena Kogan had in mind._

Marcus stared at John. "You never did answer my question, Connor. How do you _know_ all this?"

"That's for another time. I'll tell you everything you want to know…later."

Before Marcus could object, John interrupted him. "I've decided that I want you in Tech-Com. I could use you, Marcus. Will you fight under my command?"

Marcus nodded solemnly, thankful to finally be of some use.

"You'll have to obey orders," he warned.

"I think I can handle that."

"Even if Barnes is your superior?"

Marcus glared at him. "As long as he doesn't use me for target practice."

"I gather you have experience evading the authorities?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly. "You could say that."

"You're skilled with hotwiring."

"Yeah."

"Jacking cars?"

"…Yeah."

"What about using weapons?"

"…are you going to arrest me, Connor?"

The corner of John's mouth turned up into a slight grin. "No. I need you to train someone."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Say again?"

"I have a mission for you. Now that I know who you are and what you've done, I've realized that nobody could be better for this assignment."

"What assignment? Who exactly am I training?"

"Kyle Reese."


End file.
